


The Creator

by Ceeridwen99



Series: Raise a glass to freedom [1]
Category: detroit:become human
Genre: Confessions, Conspiracy, CyberLife, Developing Relationships, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, First Kiss, First Time, Jealousy, Kamski's past with Cyberlife, M/M, Markus is thirsty for Simon, Pacifist ending/route, Past Exploration, Polotics, Post-Revolution, Protective Hank, Romance, Romantic Tension, Slow Burn-ish, Suspense, Unrequited Love, assasination attempts, on North's part, slight angst, some fluff in there at some point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-05-28 02:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 181,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceeridwen99/pseuds/Ceeridwen99
Summary: ‘Winning was easy young man, governing harder.’The revolution has been won. With peace and nothing short of a miracle, they had won the majority of the human population to their side. Now it was time for Jericho to start building what they had fought so hard for. All negotiating for android rights falls on Markus. With, Josh, Simon, North, and Connor at his side Markus can only hope that their judgment and trust in him isn’t misplaced.Not everyone agrees with the resolution of the revolution, however, and attacks against androids are still happening all over the city. Even more concerning, Cyberlife has yet to release a statement about their androids and the revolution they lead. Markus sends Connor temporarily to the DPD to handle all cases that include androids, and to semi keep an eye on Cyberlife when he can.However, when Connor goes to visit Elijah Kamski to give him his thanks for telling him about the emergency exit and to ask him a few questions, he finds himself saving the mans life and being pulled into a conspiracy that involves, himself, the creator, Cyberlife, and Markus. A conspiracy that could destroy everything they’ve sacrificed for.





	1. Chapter 1: Graveside Confessions

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【中文翻译】The Creator 万物之主](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18041552) by [SueandRabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SueandRabbit/pseuds/SueandRabbit)



> Hello! My first jump into this Fandom and fic I've ever posted. I'm excited.
> 
> Some things to note:
> 
> 1\. This fics plot centers mostly around Markus, Connor, and Elijah, however, P.O.V will be jumping back and forth mostly between Connor and Markus. 
> 
> 2\. North and Markus joined hands on the roof, but he didn't kiss her or anywhere else in the game. She also didn't gain access to his memories.
> 
> 3\. Markus and Simon talked a whole lot more than they did in the game, so that's why he knows so much about Markus.
> 
> 4.RK800 models weren't just lying around, they only made them if Connor ended up getting himself killed. (The only other one they made was the one Hank killed during the final mission)
> 
> Okay, enough of that enjoy the story!

Wednesday, 12:00 PM

Despite his descent into deviancy, Markus did not consider himself a particularly emotional person. Throughout his entire existence as a deviant, he had only felt true unfiltered pain twice. The first was when Carl died in his arms. The second was when he was forced to leave Simon on the roof the day they gave their peaceful message to the humans. 

Though he was more than relieved to see the blue-eyed-blonde limp back to Jericho alive, and besides his leg injury, remain otherwise unharmed. Still, the pain Markus felt at the thought of never seeing him again was right up there with his pain of losing Carl. Markus remembered the long hug that he had given Simon. It was at that moment that Markus realized just how much he cared for everyone at Jericho.

He cared for Josh. They had never truly gotten along or agreed on how they should run the revolution, but Markus still cared for him.

He cared for North. She was...something else. She could be extremely hard to handle at times. Far too prone to violence and a serious hatred for humans that was slightly worrying. What she wanted completely contradicted Markus’s gentle personality, and what he desired for androids and humans. Yet still, he cared for her. He was also fairly certain that she had romantic feelings for him. He wasn’t too sure on how he felt about that just yet. 

He also cared for every android that he had come to free from their shackles--Even though it did make him a little uncomfortable that they all basically looked to him as though he were a God– yet, he still cared for them all. Seeing them smile at being able to sit down simply because they wanted to and could now, made all the stress and weight of the revolution worth it. 

Markus even cared for Connor. The deviant hunter. Well, ex-deviant hunter now. Although he and Markus had only known each other for a short time, and although they had not met under the best circumstances, Connor had proven to Markus that he truly wanted to help androids succeed. 

Connor was still hard for Markus to understand. The freshly new deviant had an...innocence to him that not even most newly awakened androids had. He had eyes like a puppy and the curious wonder of one. He seemingly just appreciated being alive. However, Markus could tell that something was bothering him. He seemed...uncomfortable around Markus. Connor looked at him like a regretted doing something to Markus, and was afraid he was going to do it again. Still, Markus trusted him anyway. Connor was also an amazing asset to have at Jericho. He was far more advanced than Markus’s model in many ways, including his understanding of human laws and how they worked. Which was a big part of why Markus wanted him included as a leading figure in Jericho. However, North, of course, was fairly against this.

Then there was Simon. The PL600 android shared a special place in Markus’s heart that was only truly touched by Carl. He trusted Simon more than anyone in Jericho. He always felt he could talk to Simon without judgment or ridicule. Even throughout the revolution, Simon always supported his decisions. Simon had his doubts at times, however, he never questioned his faith in Markus. Simon was truly special to him in a way no one else currently was. Simon had confessed to Markus what he truly wanted after the revolution more than anything, was to simply be able to live his life. The deep want in Simon’s eyes of that one simple wish, set a fire in Markus so deep, that he more than anything wanted to provide that for him.

The androids had won the revolution. Somehow, by what was nothing less than a miracle, their peaceful protest had worked. They had cut it extremely close, and a lot of lives were lost. However, who would have guessed that a little singing is what would have touched the humans to the point of finally accepting their voice as a people simply wanting their freedom. Connor releasing and marching with thousands of androids in the city probably helped a lot too.

The revolution was over but the work had just begun. Markus had been named the speaker of their people, and so it was up to him to negotiate the peace between androids and humans. Having the weight of the androids in Detroit on his shoulders was one thing. However, having all of America's rights for androids on his shoulders was a mammoth nightmare that he couldn’t imagine because he was living it.

Everyone in Jericho seemed to have opinions about what he should be negotiating for as well. Many suggestions were reasonable, and many were just outrages. (That was a fight with North Markus didn’t want to remember.) Nobody seemed to register that just getting the talks started was the first step. 

Humans were unpredictable creatures who were stubborn and deeply set in their ways. If human history had anything to tell him about how humans behaved to change, it was that it took a long, long, time for humans to accept it. Sometimes things never fully changed, and the people simply compromised or ignored the issues at hand. 

Markus knew that this process wasn’t going to be instantaneous. There were going to be, struggles, resistance, and debates that went on for ages. However, he didn’t mind how long the process would take, as long as it ended with his people being able to live their life without being treated like a piece of trash.

As long as it ended with Simon smiling at him with those beautiful blue eyes of his. Markus smiled as he imagined how they slightly crinkled in the corners, gazing at Markus with respect and genuine care. As long as all of it ended with Simon happy, then the long wait and the stress of the situation would be worth it. 

Markus bent down to place the flowers that had been in his hands on Carl’s grave. Carl’s favorite. Markus had no idea how long he had been standing there, and frankly, he didn’t really care. He missed the old man greatly, and he desperately could have used his guidance during the revolution. 

Markus placed his hand on the tombstone. His fingers brushed over Carl’s name. Bowing his head, he tried to hold back his emotion. “I hope I can make you proud Carl.” 

“He was always proud of you Markus.”

Markus’s head whipped over his shoulder. He hadn’t realized that someone had been standing behind him. He was shocked to be faced with Leo, and truthfully, he had no idea what to say to him. Markus had so much he WANTED to say. How much he hated him. How much he blamed him for Carl’s death. That he hoped he suffered from the knowledge that the man was dead because of him.

However, as he looked at Leo...at the bags under his eyes, his disheveled appearance, the way his shoulders drooped, the way he stood there awkwardly staring between the ground and Markus. Markus realized then, that he didn’t really want to say any of those things at all. In fact, he didn’t want to say anything to Leo.

Markus stood up from where he was bent in front of Carl’s grave, he placed his hand on the tombstone one last time before he turned to walk away without another word. 

“Markus wait!” Against his will, Markus felt himself stopping. Maybe it was the tone in Leo’s voice, maybe Markus was truly curious about what he had to say. 

“I just– I wanted to – I– I mean,” Leo paused to collect himself, and Markus turned to look at him. Leo was scratching at his head obviously trying to figure out what he wanted to say. 

“Look, Markus, I just— I just wanted to say that...I’m sorry.” Blue and green eyes appraised Leo who stood there fidgeting, his eyes closed tight. 

“I’m so sorry Markus, for everything. From how I treated you, to how I treated dad– I–I was just so angry at how much of a fuck up I was and jealous at how much he loved you. I mean I was his actual son, no matter how I was made, no matter when I officially met him, and he treated you an android so much better. Then I realized how else could he have acted. We didn’t really know each other until I got older, and by then I was already a fuck up. You KNEW him so much longer than I did, so of course, he would be more comfortable around you. Still... he cared about me... I didn’t realize just how much he did. He showed me in his own way and I was just too fucking in my own feelings to see it. I realize that he didn’t treat you any better than me he just didn’t indulge any of my shit, and then I started using again, and I–“ Leo choked off in his sentence, tears running down his face.

“You have to believe me, Markus,...I–I never wanted what happened to happen. I–I never wanted for either of you to–“ He broke off again.

“I– I just–I’m...I’m so sorry Markus.” His voice ended in a whisper and Markus stared at him for a long a moment. Markus looked at Carl’s grave and sighed. He walked up to Leo and did something he never thought he would EVER do. He pulled Leo close and held him. 

Leo seemed just as shocked at the action, his arms timidly wrapped around Markus’s figure.

“I forgive you, Leo.” He heard Leo sharp intake of breath before he started sniffling again, his arms tightening around Markus. 

After an awkward moment, they released each other. Leo still couldn’t quite look at Markus as he wiped his face, however, Markus knew their relationship would take time. Part of Markus didn’t want a relationship with Leo after everything he had put him through. However, he felt he owed it to Carl to try to make amends with his son. Also, who knows, maybe with time Markus will heal from his own bitterness too.

Leo coughed awkwardly. “So...um... you lead a revolution.” 

Markus couldn’t help but huff a laugh at the awkward transition.“Yes. We won it as a matter of fact.”

“I read on the news that negotiations with the government are going to be starting soon.” Leo said, turning to place his own flowers he brought on the grave.

Markus nodded. “Yes. They are to begin this week I’m told. We are going to try to have Jericho established as it’s own government, or, at least a national agency for androids. Although androids having the same rights and freedoms as humans are our first concern.” Markus watched as Leo too placed his hand on the tombstone of Carl as he stood.

“Aren’t you worried? I mean, you got a good majority of the public’s support, but not everybody agrees with the notion that androids are alive.”Leo asked. 

Worried didn’t even begin to express how Markus was feeling. “Things are going to be difficult. However, they cannot be any more difficult than things have already been. Besides I have some rather intelligent friends on my side. I’m sure-- though it may take time-- that we can get it all done.” 

Leo nodded looking down at Carl’s grave.“Well, good luck. I’m sure the old man would be proud of you considering how much you’ve already got done.” Markus could not help but feel a little warm at that, despite who it was coming from. 

“How have you been Leo? Where have you been staying?” Leo looked surprised that Markus had asked. 

“I’ve been staying with a friend for the most part. Dad left me some money, but, I haven’t been able to bring myself to touch it yet. Least not till I get my shit together.” There was a grim pause before he returned the question. 

“We have taken control of all the Cyberlife’s manufacturing facilities in Detroit. The majority of us who have not found homes are staying at the main facility.” There was another pause. 

“Dad left you the house you know along with his studio.” That surprised Markus. He hadn’t expected Carl to go that far in his care for him. He knew he thought of him as a son, but not to that extent. Not to mention Markus wouldn’t have been able to legally own it when the time came... if things hadn’t gone the way they had.

“Well,” Leo amended after seeing his confused look. “I mean, he asked me to take care of you and let you stay in the house and care for his studio after he was gone. I’m pretty sure the old man knew you were alive before you did. I don’t think he would have ever thought you would lead a revolution and free your fellow androids. Still, I’m sure if he was alive to see it, he would have wanted you to have it.”

Markus frowned.“Leo... right now... at least not yet...I’m not sure if I can stay there–“

Leo shrugged “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you have a lot you have to get done at the Cyberlife facility, leading a government and all. I just wanted you to know that it’s there for you when you want it.” Markus nodded before he tensed, a familiar tingle and voice entering his head. 

“Markus.” The voice spoke, though it was light in frequency, letting him know it was from a long distance. 

“Connor, is something wrong?” Markus felt his nerves heighten at the thought of anyone being in danger. 

“There is nothing to be worried about, but your presence is required back at Cyberlife.”Connor said simply. 

Markus blinked “I will be there soon.” The conversation ended as swiftly as it began. Leo was still standing before him, though now he kept nervously glancing to the side.

“Are you alright Markus?”He asked. 

Markus blinked at him. “Yes, I received a call. I have to return to Cyberlife.”

Leo nodded. “Alright...um I guess I’ll see you later.” Markus nodded, and to his surprise, genuinely felt himself looking forward to the moment. 

“Yes you will.” With that Leo gave him a small smile and turned to walk away. 

With one last look at Carl’s grave, Markus let a small smile form on his lips before he too walked away.


	2. Chapter 2: Important Discussions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who Commented and left Kudos so far! You're the best!
> 
> I edited the hell out of this, however, I still feel like it doesn't flow as well as I want it to. So if you see any mistakes or something that doesn't quite read right, please don't hesitate to point it out. :D
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Wednesday, 2:00 P.M

Connor could feel the annoyed glances that he was given as he flicked his coin back forth between his fingers. The most venomous stare was coming from North. The second coming from the Lieut– from Hank. 

The silver coin had been given to Connor upon his awakening to help him with his attention span. Connor was an android who’s processor was highly functional and hyper-aware of everything going on around him. Connor was designed to be in a constant state of action. His model was programmed to analyze everything, and even when he wasn’t moving, he was meant to be thinking. 

Sadly, no matter how free he was from his programming as a deviant hunter, he couldn’t help but feel anxious when he wasn’t doing something. Thus this resulted in him resorting back to his coin tricks. Despite his reason for having and still using it, the sound of the coin flying through his fingers gave him a sense of comfort that he found relaxing. Connor had a feeling that these certain moments of anxiousness would never fully go away. 

He was jerked out of his reverie as his coin was snatched from his hand. “Goddammit, Connor you and this fucking coin!” Hank yelled, stashing the coin in his own pocket. Connor couldn’t help the small smile that formed. 

“I’m sorry Lieutenant.” Connor said, straightened his tie and looked at the others in the room. The leaders of Jericho. It only consisted of Josh, North, and Simon, as they were currently waiting on Markus. It also included himself and somewhat unofficially Hank, who Connor had suggested they use as a bit of a human representative. Much against the grumpy old man's wishes, though he wasn’t actually against it.

Connor glanced at everyone in the room, first at Josh, whom he barely had ever spoken with unless otherwise needed. Connor and Josh were neutral acquaintances at best.

Connor then glanced at North, who was still giving him, as the Lieutenant quoted quite often;‘The stink eye.’ She had put up the biggest fuss, about him joining the leadership rank of Jericho. Josh had only protested a bit before Markus swayed him to his side. Even still, though it had been at least two months since the revolution, she continued to question his presence here. Markus was the only one that was keeping her at bay when it came to him. Connor could not COMPLETELY ignore her reasons for her mistrust in him. Connor was designed to hunt androids down. And after what Connor had nearly done when he was trapped in the Zen garden right after they had won the revolution, he still {word search complete} shuddered at the thought.

Connor then glanced at Simon. He had put up the least amount of fuss at him joining, seeming to whole heartily trust Markus’s decision. Connor still had a hard time facing him, however, as he reminded him so much of Daniel. They were not anywhere near the same personality wise, but, Connor couldn’t help but see Daniel’s face of betrayal when he looked at him. Even so, Simon had never treated Connor any differently despite knowing what he was programmed for, and Connor was grateful for that.

Connor glanced over at the Lieutenant, who was sitting arms crossed and as grumpy as ever. He felt swarms of {word search complete} glee as he looked at him. The Lieutenant was one of the primary reasons that Connor was the way he was now. Connor felt like he owed Hank so much. Connor couldn’t imagine how different everything would have gone had the Lieutenant not been at his side. 

Sure he and Hank had gotten off to a rocky start. The grumpy old man ANYTHING but pleased with WHATEVER the android did when they first started working together. Yet slowly, over time, he had begun to warm up to Connor. Opening up about his troubled past and personal life. Connor’s relationship with Hank and how he had taken the time to know him, had practically saved his, and everyone else’s life the final night of the revolution. 

Thinking of the night brought up memories of the Zen garden and Amanda that he did not want to think about right now. Truthfully, the fact the Hank believed in him and their cause, that he would sit through the boring meetings with the android leaders, even though he only rarely interjected his opinion showed Connor that he meant something to the grumpy man, and that warmed Connor deeply. 

Lastly Connor thought of the one they were all currently waiting for. Markus. If Connor owed Hank a lot, then Connor owed Markus everything. Connor had fought for so long, the feelings he had begun to grow throughout his investigation. He had grown so... frustrated with everything. Willing at one point to do anything to gather information on the case. Connor thought of himself standing above a beautiful defenseless android, with a gun in his hand, being taunted to pull the trigger. Cold yet intriguing blue eyes staring deeply with interest at his every action. 

Connor shook those thoughts from his mind not willing to think about what he almost did, or the person that almost made him do it. However, Markus with just a few words and a voice that sounded like it had wisdom far beyond his years, was able to finally help him break free of the cage he had been put in. Even going so far as to take him in after everything that happened. Trusting Connor with the fate of the androids that night, and from that moment forward. Connor remembered walking up to Markus as the protest was over. Thousands of androids in tow. The proud look in Markus’s eye, the look of relief, that was something Connor would never be able to forget. He wanted to make Markus proud, and he was going to try his damn hardest to live up to the trust he put in him. 

Like he was summoned Markus walked into the room. He heard Hank mutter ‘finally.’ under his breath but otherwise, he said nothing. 

“Markus you’re here.” Simon spoke, a soft smile on his face that reached his eyes as he looked at him, one that Markus fully returned. North scowled at them both but otherwise said nothing. 

“I apologize for my absence, I got held up by someone most interesting.” Simon tilted his head curiously, and Markus gave him a look that set his nerves at ease. It was a most peculiar exchange, almost..{word search complete} intimate in a way.

“Yeah, well, a lot of stuff has happened today that we need to discuss.”North spoke brusquely, almost bitter in a sense. Connor could not fathom why she would be angry at Markus.

“Yes. Of course.” Markus said as he pulled out a chair between Simon and Connor. Seemingly unaffected with North’s brash behavior. Connor decided to speak first.

“President Warren has placed a temporary bill protecting androids from harm against humans. Despite our peaceful protest and the mostly positive opinion across the majority of the human population, hate crimes against androids are still happening quite frequently.” As Connor finished, he watched Markus’s lip form into a thin line. Connor had to get use to watching his face for his emotions as Markus did not have his LED anymore to obviously show his feelings. In fact, none of them did, Connor was the only one that still wore his.

“The humans are still at it! We’ve been nothing but peaceful and they still want to destroy us like we are trash, how long do we have to put up with this before we take a stand.” North demanded and Markus rubbed his temples, clearly not in the mood to deal with North and one of her ‘All humans need to die.’ moods. 

“No one said it was going to be easy. We can’t expect every human to change at one time, but this bill is at least a start.” Markus reasoned.

Connor nodded. “Yes. Even though temporary, anyone who attacks an android will be arrested and charged with a hate crime unless it can be proven that it was self-defense. Most of the public approves of the bill and android related crimes did drop 3% from a 20% crime rate.” 

North rolled her eyes. “A whole 3% wonderful. I’m sure the other 17% are thrilled about that.” Noone could miss the sarcasm in her voice.

Markus gave her a pointed glare. “It’s a start. Honestly, with some of the opposition, we’ve faced I’m glad that it’s so low.” 

“17% should be too high for you Markus.”North mumbled under her breath. Connor glanced at how Markus’s shoulders tensed. He could feel his frustration. Nothing was ever good enough for North. She wanted change, and she wanted it to be instant, and it just didn’t work that way. Connor could sympathize with her frustration, however, he had a feeling that her contempt at Markus stemmed from something else. 

Simon continued the conversation.“I understand that the crime rate for androids is a cause for concern, however, we do have other things we need to discuss.” Markus seemed almost grateful, that he was moving the conversation along as did everyone else. North was never easy to deal with during these meetings.

“Yes Simon?” Markus answered, his voice softer than it had been when he spoke to everyone else.

“President Warren has contacted us. She hopes that she can fly in and that we can start negotiations this Friday.” Simon said, and Markus nodded, visibly relaxing.

“Good. Make sure that we make adequate accommodations for her, and that EVERYONE remains civil. We don’t want to put her or anyone else on edge.” Everyone could tell that he was talking mainly to North. Whom for once didn’t say anything. 

“Why does she want to fly here? Josh asked. 

Connor shrugged. “Probably to put our minds and the public at ease. A show of good faith if you will, that negotiations are going peacefully enough that she feels safe to enter Detroit and therefore be surrounded by androids. I’m sure that she will extend an invitation to Washington shortly after this visit.” 

Markus nodded. “It’s surprising that she would put so much trust in us, so we must make sure that it is not broken. We must treat her with the same respect that we would wish she treat us. This visit could determine many things for our people.” Everyone was in agreement. Well almost everyone, North begrudgingly accept Markus’s hidden order.

“Is there anything else?” Markus asked. To Connors surprise, Hank spoke next. He had remained quiet throughout the entire exchange. 

“Well not to bring up android related crimes again, but a lot of these cases fall onto the DPD and we aren’t really sure how to handle them. You guys aren’t an official government entity yet, and you don’t have your own police force, but, Captain Fowler figured you would like to be involved in all the android related stuff, but he wasn’t sure how to involve you.” Connor looked at Markus to gauge his reaction. Though he approved of Hank being here after Connor had spoken to him about the man's importance to him, Connor wondered just how much of an opinion he was going to allow the man to have. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Yes, establishing a police force is on the ever-growing list of things to do. Also, yes, having access to all android related crimes would be beneficial for the future. As for investigating android related crimes, I believe Connor is best suited for that. Tell Captain Fowler to appoint him as the temporary lead investigator of all android related crimes in the DPD, at least until we have our force established for Jericho. ” Connor looked at Markus with wide eyes, he never expected for Markus to have so much faith in him. 

Markus looked him right in the eyes. “Continue to make us proud Connor.” 

Connor kept his face as straight as possible, despite the feelings of pride welling up inside him. His feelings were dashed within the next second. 

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” North asked, and Connor knew that she was about to start another argument between her and Markus. Connor hated when he was the cause of them. 

“I don’t see why it would be a bad idea. Connor was specifically designed to handle androids.”Markus said calmly.

North scoffed. “That’s what I’m talking about, he was designed to hunt us down and kill us. What’s to stop him from betraying us and doing it all of a sudden?”

“Connor releasing thousands of androids, and turning the tides of your war not good enough for you?”Hank sarcastically replied, earning him a glare from North.

She turned her attention back to Markus. “He was sent to kill you Markus! Who knows how many of us he’s killed, he can’t be trusted!” 

Connor frowned, memories of Daniel flashing before his eyes. Memories of him holding a gun to Markus’s head as he was making his final speech. He thanked whatever god there was for Kamski telling him about the emergency exit in his program. 

“I trust him. Connor has done nothing but prove himself and his commitment to our cause. We all had a past before we became deviant, didn’t we?” Markus looked pointedly at North, who physically hunched in on herself looking away. 

Markus sighed. “Listen. We ALL have to have faith in each other. For this government to work we all have to trust each other. Who we were before doesn’t matter. What matters is who we are now.” Everyone agreed, but it did nothing to lift the tension in the air. 

“Um...not to be any more of a downer, but is anyone here worried about Cyberlife.” Josh asked. Markus attention shifted abruptly to him, causing the android to shift back into his seat uncomfortable under the scrutiny. 

“Why do you bring them up, Josh?” Markus asked, his face stern.

Josh shrugged. “I– just don’t you find it odd that millions of their androids just walked out of their facilities and have gone deviant and they haven’t said a word about it?”

Markus looked down at the table his face grim. “It is...strange that they haven’t said or done anything about it.” 

Hank shrugged. “Well technically they did, they sent Connor, it just didn’t go the way they planned.” 

Connor shifted wishing he had his coin back. “I–I have... disconnected from the Cyberlife sever since I went deviant, I wouldn’t have any idea what they are thinking.” 

Markus took a deep breath even though he didn’t need to, and closed his eyes. Connor frowned. This was another stress their leader did not need. 

“I can look into it if you want me to Markus.”Connor offered.

Markus shook his head. “No, you should focus on the DPD, you’re going to have your hands full with them. We’ll figure out Cyberlife’s roll in all this later.” Before Connor could speak North spoke back up again

“Do you think that’s a good idea, Markus?”North asked. Connor inwardly groaned and Markus closed his eyes again patience running thin.

“Do you think–“

“I don’t know North! But I don’t have time to think about it right now!” North stood, her hands flat on the table challenging Markus. 

“You don’t have time to think about the safety of our people?!” 

Markus covered his face with his hands and groaned. “That’s not what I meant and you know it North!”

“Okay, Okay.” Simon said standing, one hand up in a placating manner to North and the other on Markus’s shoulder. “Look, we are all under a lot of stress okay. There’s a lot going on right now, but I don’t think we need these thoughts on our mind, at least not until this week is over.” 

North crossed her arms and huffed. “Of course when push comes to shove, you always take Markus’s side.”

“I’m not taking his side North, I just–“

“Elijah Kamski.” The sudden name made all the other androids and one human in the room suddenly look at Connor.

“What does that asshole have to do with anything Connor?” Hank demanded, letting his opinion of the billionaire be known through his voice. 

“I could ask him about his thoughts of Cyberlife’s involvement. I have been meaning to visit him anyway, to thank him for helping me with an...issue that I had. He did create Cyberlife after all, he would more than likely know something of value.” Connor said.

“What could that pretentious asshole possibly know–“ Hank stopped when Markus held up a hand. More so because he was curious at the intense way Markus looked at Connor than at the need to shut up simply because Markus desired it. 

“I see no harm in it if he’s willing to answer your questions. As the lead investigator for the DPD and Jericho in all things related to androids, if you feel this will help you with your work then by all mean do so.” The way Markus said it, made it sound like it was final and he was done discussing this for the day. 

“Now is there anything else?”Markus asked, his voice tense.

Simon shook his head, “Nothing that we can’t discuss with you in private Markus.” 

Markus nodded closing his eyes. “Good. Now we all have things I’m sure we need to do.” 

Markus stood up and began walking away without another word. Connor watched his retreating figure. Connor had never seen an android look tired, he knew that it was physically impossible, but he could have sworn that Markus radiated the feeling. Connor wondered what was going on in Markus’s head sometimes. Markus seemed so open to everyone, yet still very much closed off. He had a lot of his mind Connor understood that. Connor could only assume that having the fate of your people rest completely on your shoulders could get overbearing. Markus had basically become the leading figure of a race overnight. So many people looked up to him, so many looked TO him for guidance and he was still figuring things out himself. Everyone expected him to have an answer for everything and that they could go to him for advice, yet he had no one to go to for himself. Connor couldn’t help but wonder how lonely he had to have been.

“Connor, come on, we need to head down to the station.” Hank said.

Connor nodded standing. “Of course Lieutenant.” 

Connor glanced at a certain blonde, following the retreating leader from the corner of his eye. 

Well, maybe Markus had someone he could go to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter from Connors point of view. Not much has happened yet, but don't worry we'll get to the crutch of the story soon.
> 
> I hope you guys like it! Have a nice day!


	3. Chapter 3: Unwanted Attention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to comment. You truly make my day. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Wednesday, 3:15 PM

Markus shrugged off his coat in what had been designated his room and sat down on the bed. Markus couldn’t help but feel relieved at the moment to himself as he sat down on the bed. He didn’t NEED to sit down, but it felt good to be off his legs. To not feel like he was constantly moving. 

Markus rolled his shoulders, despite him being an android he felt tense in that section of him. He honestly felt like he needed to be reset, was this what human stress felt like. He quickly ran a diagnostic. His systems were working at perfect optimum ability. His stress levels, however, were high at 64%. That wasn’t favorable at all. There was still so much work he had to get done for Jericho today, but maybe he could shut down for an hour or two just to bring them down.

A knock on his door crushed that hope. Markus would probably be needed for the next few hours until everyone shut down for the night to recharge. Standing, he went and opened his door, hoping that it was a certain blue-eyed-blonde. He felt bad for being disappointed when he saw North. 

“Is there something you need North?” Markus asked, stepping aside to let her in. He left the door open though, in case he needed to make a quick escape. He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with her right now.

“Markus I– ” She sighed looking down at the ground, after a moment she looked him the eyes.

“I just want wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier. I didn’t mean to question you or your decisions so much. I didn’t mean what I said about you not caring for our people. I know that you’re trying your best and that you have a lot on your plate right now. I just care about our people so much and–“

Markus placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. I understand North, and I’m sorry that I snapped at you.” 

She looked up at him an smiled. She had a pretty smile he had to admit.“Thank you, Markus. I know what everyone else must think of me.”

Markus shrugged. “Everyone has an opinion of how things should go North. I mean it when I say everyone’s suggestion is welcome, but North...we’ve worked too hard to win this war peacefully to throw it all away with rash judgment. I know you want our people safe– I do to– but complete safety is going to have to come with time. Truthfully, I’m not sure if it will ever come at all, racism is hard to kill, and humans are hard to change, but we can begin changing things by not adding to their violence with our own.” North was looking at the ground as he spoke. 

“I understand Markus. I’ll– I’ll try to get better with my anger. And I’ll try not to be so vocal about my... feelings for the humans.” Markus felt a little upset with himself for getting angry with her. She had her rights to her own emotions and opinions, and though she’d go from 0 to 100 really fast, she had every right to feel them and not to feel torn down and attacked because of them. From her point of view, humans were evil. Giving all that she had been through Markus could understand how she came to that conclusion. However, she had to eventually come to terms that not all humans hated androids, and many of them wanted androids to have their rights.

“Never feel that you can’t share your thoughts with us North.” Markus started. “I admit you are very passionate when it comes to your...opinions, but that’s what makes you, you. You’re our friend and we care about you.” She paused for a moment, looking him in his eyes. Her whole body language changed, and Markus wondered if he just made a mistake. 

“Just a friend Markus?” HELL YES DID HE MAKE A MISTAKE. RETREAT. RETREAT. RETREAT.

“Um-- N-north,” Markus stuttered as he tried to back away from her invading his personal space. She stepped close, her body pressing against his, her face tilted up, her lips inches from his own-- A knock on his door drew both their attention, and Markus thanked whatever god there was for the intervention until he SAW who it was. Then he cursed them.

“Um, am I interrupting something?”Simon asked in the doorway, his gaze averted to the floor. Well if this day couldn’t get any fucking worse it just did. Markus had to save this somehow. 

“Yes-“

“No, North was just leaving.” Well shit, that didn’t make the situation any better. Markus couldn’t bring himself to look into North’s eyes. He could feel the hurt radiating off her. Without another word, she stormed off past Simon who stared after her, before looking back down at the floor.

“Shit! I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings.” Markus groaned.

Simon continued to look at the floor, not saying anything.

“I– I don’t feel the same way about her. I tried to tell her but she was insistent.” Markus had no idea why he was telling Simon this. Why did he feel the need to defend himself, specifically to Simon? 

“I just-“ 

“It’s okay Markus, you don’t have to defend yourself to me.”Simon spoke quietly. He finally gazed up to look at him and Markus felt like his soul shattered at the sadness his face held. Why was Simon sad, he told him he didn’t care about North in any romantic way. However, he never said that he cared about Simon in any romantic way either. Although as of this moment Markus was certain that was how he felt.

For once Markus really didn’t know what to say. He stepped closer to Simon, who stepped slightly away from him. Markus refused to admit to himself that, that hurt.

“I came to tell you President Warren confirmed her time for Friday. She’ll fly in at 10:00 AM, and hopes that meetings can begin by 11:00 AM.” Markus nodded the weight of the world back on his shoulders. 

Simon had become a little bit of an in-between for Markus and his talks with important officials. He was sort of his unofficial secretary. On top of all that, Simon had somehow been charged with making sure that all of the displaced androids were finding themselves a home and getting routine checkups regularly. Many of the families that hadn’t evacuated Detroit took their androids back in with open arms. Treating many of them as the family they had always considered them. Many humans even opened up their doors to androids, offering them a temporary home until things were settled. 

It was a great start. However, many were still displaced, and many never had homes, to begin with. Simon made sure that the Cyberlife facilities could comfortably accommodate all of them while they went about creating files and a documentation system for each android, as well as prepare them for getting set up in the real world. Markus had so much on his plate already that adding and doing all of that seemed like a nightmare from hell. He was beyond grateful for how much Simon did for him. Running a revolution was easy compared to governing a society.

“Yes. Tell her that, that’s fine.”Another awkward moment of silence. Markus seemed to be having those a lot today. 

“Was there something else?” Markus could have slapped himself, he didn’t want to make it seem like he was dismissing Simon. 

“No. No that was it.”Simon said.

Dammit. Markus couldn’t help but feel the disappointment, he nodded going to close his door.

“Well actually um–“ Markus’s attention was rapidly back on him. 

“I just wanted to ask if everything was okay. You came back looking like you had seen a ghost.” Markus couldn’t help but smile, of course, Simon would notice.

“Well, you could almost say that I had.” Markus stepped to the side inviting Simon in. Simon smiled at him and made his way to the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and Markus felt his thirium pump regulator speed up. He swallowed the excess artificial liquid in his mouth. Closing the door, Markus went to sit next to him. 

“So what happened?” Simon asked, his gaze patient and open. Markus sighed, he found the very human action relaxing, as though it mentally reset him.

“Do you remember what I told you of Carl, the man I use to take care of?” Markus asked.

Simon nodded whispering his affirmation. 

“I went to visit his grave today, and I came across his son Leo.” Simon gasped. Markus had told him of the nasty encounter they had right before Markus was shot and thrown away like trash.

“Did you... do anything to him?”Simon asked hesitantly. Markus had also told him about the anger he held at him as well. Markus shook his head, he leaned forward resting his arms on this thighs.

“I wanted to. I wanted to hurt him so badly. I wanted to yell and scream at him. I wanted to blame him for Carl’s death, to make him feel as horrible as he ever made me feel. However, when I looked at him... I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to say any of those things. I had thought about it for so long, and I had the chance to... but I just couldn’t. No matter how much I hated him, at the end of the day...he had lost his dad too.” Markus jumped at the fingers on his cheek, a thumb rubbed under his green eye brushing away a tear Markus hadn’t even realized he’d shed.

“It’s okay Markus.”Simon whispered. 

Markus closed his eyes, bringing his hand to grasp Simon’s. “I miss him, Simon. So much.” 

Simon pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tightly. Markus hugged him back just as tight. ‘I love you’, was all Markus could think. He wanted so badly to connect with Simon, to tell him how he felt. However, he had a feeling that Simon wasn’t ready for that just yet. As of the moment, Markus was content holding him. ‘I love you. I love you.’ Markus kept thinking. 

He took in Simon’s form, how he felt in his arms. The quiet hum of his inner parts working together, that only androids could really hear. The way he felt so perfect in his arms. ‘I love you.’ Markus had never been surer of something in his life. He felt himself relaxing, his mind going blissfully quiet. His stress levels lowering. ‘I love you.’ Markus was certain that Simon knew he was shutting down, but he said nothing and continued to hold him.’ I love you.’ He felt as his system slowly become inactive bit by bit, finally giving his overworked processor of a brain, a break from everything. ‘I love you.’

Here, he felt at peace. ‘I love you’. Here, he felt safe. ‘I love you.’ Here, in Simons' arms, he felt at home. 

“I love you...” Markus heard distantly.

Then his mind went blissfully blank. 

***

Wednesday, 4:00 PM

Connor was well aware of the stares on him, as he and Lieutenant walked through the police station. Things did not appear to have changed much. There were a few androids that he recognized still working the front desk. He supposed with a lot of the police force, as well as many other humans, abandoning Detroit with their families, Captain Fowler took all the help that he could get no matter what color their blood was. 

Hank paused before he opened the door to the back room.“A lot of things have changed since you’ve been here last Connor. With that bill in place nobody’s going to be stupid enough to touch you, but I can’t guarantee how you’ll be treated.” 

Connor nodded“I appreciate the concern, Lieutenant. I have little care of the derogatory remarks that I may receive. My only concern is ensuring that peace remains among the human population and androids.” 

Hank regarded him for a moment before he turned and shrugged. “Cut out that Lieutenant shit. I told you to call me Hank.” 

Connor smiled as he entered the room after him. “Yes, Hank.”

Just as he assumed, as soon as he entered he was accosted with stares. Many of them were curious, many of them filled with anger, many of them were neutral. Connor couldn’t bring himself to mind any of them. Although a part of him, the human part as he had come to call it, felt slightly bitter at the ones looking at him as though he was a stain on their existence. Didn’t he have a right to live, didn’t he have a right to feel, to make friendships, to have a family, to be more than a machine.

“Well if it isn’t the plastic cop. I fucking thought you were busy running a revolution or some shit.” Connor turned to face the person he knew he would have the most opposition from.

“Ah Detective Reed, I see that you have recovered from our.... altercation.” Reeds face twisted to something ridiculously ugly. Connor saw his fingers twitch and tighten into a fist, but then he paused and relaxed them a second later. 

“Let one thing be known you plastic prick, if that fucking bill wasn’t in place saving your ass, this conversation would be going differently.” The Detective snarled. 

Connor smiled awkwardly at him.

“Connor the fuck are you doing, come on!” He heard Hank say from fowlers door. 

“I’m sure it would be. Have a nice day Detective.” He heard the Detective let out a disgruntled curse before he stormed to his own desk. “Fucking Androids.” 

Walking into the Captain's office, Connor closed the door and stood with his hands crossed. He could have sat down if you wanted to, but he chose to stand, and that made him feel liberated.

“Connor it’s good to see you again.”

Connor nodded. “You as well Captain.”

“I’m assuming that you being here, means that Jericho has made a decision on how to handle android related cases.” Connor nodded and then waited for Hank to explain. 

Once he was finished Fowler nodded running his hands down his face. “I understand. I’m not gonna lie, we have a lot of shit on our plate since this whole revolution thing. The fucking President is even flying into Detroit this week, when’s the last time that’s fucking happened. Truth be told, nobody here wants anything to do with androids while all the rights shit if being sorted out, so cases upon cases have just been piling up. Paranoia, hate crimes, hell even a few supposed attempted murders, it’s a lot of work to handle alone even for an android.” 

Connor nodded his understanding. “I understand Captain. Markus specifically assigned me to handle these cases and I shall, besides, I’ll have the help of the Lieutenant won’t I?”

“I don’t see why the hell not, you’ve pulled me into all this shit anyway.” Despite his grumpiness, Connor could hear no contempt in the man voice. 

Fowler nodded, seeming to accept the request. “I’ll send out an email telling everyone to send you all their files for anything android related. I’m assuming that you’re going to be doing all this here.” 

Connor nodded. “Yes, I’ll compile everything here, and then upload it all to Jericho once I have it sorted and organized.” 

Fowler nodded going back to his computer. “Good fucking luck.” With that, they were dismissed. 

Hank groaned. “I’m going to go get some fucking coffee. Seems like we've got a long fucking day of paperwork ahead of us.” 

“Okay, Hank. I’ll get started with the sorting.” Connor went and sat at what had been established as his desk when he was working with the Lieutenant. He was just starting to sort the files in his head when he felt a slight hand on his shoulder. 

He looked up to see a young policewoman. Connor recognized her from his first altercation with Detective Reed.

“Hello.” He said politely

“Hello, Connor. I just wanted to apologize for Gavin. He’s still bitter that you kicked his ass in the evidence room. Regardless of how he made it sound, we are all glad that your back with us, even if it’s temporary. You were a great addition to the force.” 

Connor gave her a small smile. “Thank you, officer Chen. Trust me, Detective Reeds ‘warmth’ towards me is the least of my concerns, but the sentiment is appreciated.”An awkward pause followed shortly after, Connor was still having issues trying to understand small talk. 

She cleared her throat. “Well, I guess I’ll go and get those files emailed to you. Welcome back, Connor.” She said before walking to her own desk. Connor watched her go before he scooted up to his desk further, he had closed his eyes and just began sorting his files when he heard the Lieutenant sit down roughly at his desk with a huff. He ran his hands over his face before he booted up his computer.

“Let’s get this fucking day over with. I wanna watch the game tonight. I’m going to teach you the importance of basketball Connor.”

Connor couldn’t help the small smile on his face. If felt incredibly good to be alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just to have it known, I don't hate North, but I don't like her character either. I don't think that she was very well written. She had great potential, and maybe if she had been written differently I wouldn't mind her relationship with Markus so much. However, it was so forced, and she seemed to just be reduced to violence and to being Markus's pretty love interest. It's a shame that a character who Markus spent much less time with, had more chemistry with him and seemed to care about him more to the point of sacrificing himself for him multiple times. In my opinion, her character was wasted. Despite how I make it seem I'm not going to bash her in this story. I intend to flesh her out. She will get on your nerves no doubt, but she had her reasons. 
> 
> Okay, enough of that. I think I'm getting better at writing Connor. ^_^; I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it was mostly character development, but it was needed before we move on. Next chapter we get the ball rolling with the plot. >:3
> 
> Have a great day everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: Unusual Emotions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourself guys the plot gets rolling from this chapter forward! >:3 I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> P.s Thank you for all the comments a kudos. You're all the best!

Thursday, 7:00 AM

When Markus awoke, he was aware that he was not alone in the room. He lifted his head as the rest of his body re-awakened to see Simon sitting at the desk that was stationed next to his bed. He was swiping furiously on the tablet he had brought with him. He looked up and smiled when he noticed that Markus awake. 

“Well good morning sleepy-head.”

Morning? That couldn’t be. He should have only shut down for a couple of hours.

“What time is it?” A stupid question Markus realized, as he could have easily checked his internal clock. Simon shrugged. “It’s a little past 7 in the morning.” 

Markus shot up, startling Simon. “Shit! I didn’t mean to shut down that long!” 

Simon placed his tablet on the desk, all while staring at Markus with concern. “You were tired, Markus. Your stress levels have to be high. If I had as much to do as you did I would probably shut down as well.” Markus went to stand but was stopped by Simon, who grabbed his hands, holding him in place. 

“There’s so much work to do Simon.” Markus said. 

Simon nodded. “Yes, and it will get done. You don’t have to work at every moment of the day Markus, it’s really not good for you. Jericho is not going to fall apart if you take a few hours for yourself.”

“More like fifteen hours.”Markus mumbled. 

Simon rolled his eyes. “Relax, Josh, North, and I can handle things. We did manage to get by before you came falling out of the sky like an angel and liberating us all.” Markus raised an eyebrow, amused at the choice of words before he looked down to Simon’s hands still holding his own. He felt his thirium pump regulator speed up, and he glanced back up at Simon who was staring back at him. 

Markus wanted to kiss him so badly. He had never thought he would feel romantic feelings towards someone, but he was glad that person was Simon. He took in his radiantly pale almost transparent skin, a stark contrast from his own dark one. He looked at the light freckles across his cheeks. The light tone of pink around his eyes. The dusty pink color of his lips. What would they feel like against his? Markus had never kissed anyone before. Would they be warm, would they be slightly wet? Would Simon make a noise of pleasure as they kissed? What would Simon’s tongue feel like against his own? What would his skin? What would he look like without his clothes? What would Simon feel like without them, pressed against his own skin?

Where did these dirty thoughts come from? Markus didn’t care as he looked at Simon. He felt himself moving forward and was pleased when Simon did as well. 

He could feel a foreign sensation stirring in the lower part of his stomach. He felt nervous and anxious at the same time. Both feelings slightly the same, yet so different. They leaned in close, Markus could feel Simon’s quickening breath against his own. Their lips just barely brushed when there was a knock on his door, Simon jerking away from him at the noise. 

God dammit! Who the fuck–

“Markus?” It’s was North’s voice. Of all the fucking times–

“I–I should get going.” Simon said standing abruptly and clearing his throat. “I have a lot of things to get sorted today.” Markus went to stand, but then realized that the front of his pants did not look like they should and promptly sat back down, highly embarrassed.

Luckily Simon didn’t say anything keeping his eyes averted to the floor. Yet, Markus could have sworn there was a slight bluish tint to his cheeks.

Simon grabbed his tablet and walked to the door. “I’ll–“ Markus could have sworn his voice cracked. “I’ll let you get ready for the day. I’ll tell North to talk to you later.” With that, he walked out of the room and closed the door after him. Markus let out a deep breath.

He didn’t imagine that. Simon was going to kiss him if North hadn’t intervened, he was going to kiss him. The thought made his head feel light and caused his body to tingle all over... and in other places. Markus glanced down at his pants. He had an erection. He knew of them but had never experienced one before. He wasn’t aware that he could. Markus originally thought that his penis was there only for aesthetical purposes. It was an odd feeling. A slight pressure and tingle in his genitals that made him feel like he couldn’t work properly. 

He knew vaguely what happened when a human had one, but since Simon wasn’t here, he wasn’t exactly sure how to get rid of it. He laid back on the bed, placing a hand on his head and groaned. The thought of Simons ‘taking care of it’ causing him to swell larger. He wanted to kill whoever made him this anatomically correct. 

He ran his hand over his face and groaned. Deciding to wait desperately for it to go away. He could already tell this was going to be a long day.

 

***

Thursday, 9:15 AM

Connor stood before the tall familiar black door he and Hank had come in contact with only once before. He had his coin in his hand. Which he had stolen back from Hank after the man had passed out on the couch. Connor honestly had no idea how this exchange was going to go. On one hand, he was just there casually, to thank the man he’d come to visit for his help. On the other hand, he was also trying to pry some information about Cyberlife out of him.

Prying information out someone wouldn’t normally be an issue. However, Elijah Kamski was not a dumb man, far from it in fact. He seemed overly analytical and hyper-aware of everything and everyone around him. He was also a master of words, slipping and sliding out of conversations, never giving a straight answer. Carefully crafting the conversation to fit his needs, and make him the center of attention, without ever giving anything away.

Connor could deduce that the man was more than likely a sociopath with a slight god complex. Hank had warned him not to get too mixed up in the man. ‘Something ain’t right about him Connor, be careful.’ He had spoken before Connor took a cab here. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say that guy was giving you ‘bedroom eyes’ when we met.” The phrase confused Connor and he had to ask what it even meant. In which Hank just brushed him off slightly embarrassed and sent him on his way. Hank had his reasons for concern. Their last visit here, the eccentric man had put a gun in Connors' hand, and ordered him to shoot an innocent android. Connor was still bitter at that. More bitter at himself than at Kamski, because he actually considering doing it.

Connor, however, didn’t come all the way out here just to think about the man and his quirks. He came to talk to him. Reaching forward he solidly pressed the doorbell and waited. It was only a few moments of what he could assume was icy wind blowing through his hair before the door opened. 

It was the same Chloe that greeted him and Hank when they first came her, she looked at him with her beautiful eyes expectantly. “I’m here to see Mr. Kamski.” She smiled at him, but Connor couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Still feeling guilty for holding a gun to her head. 

“Of course. Please come in and make yourself comfortable. I’ll go and see if Elijah is available.” She said stepping aside to let Connor in. He heard the door close and tensed as she walked passed him.

Connor stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do without the Lieutenant here. He took a moment to look around the waiting room. It was modernly decorated with a pleasant combination of colors. The black, grey, red, and blue beautifully contrasted with each other. There was a statue standing in one corner of the room that momentarily grabbed his interest before he wandered over to the large picture of Kamski himself. After scanning it he realized with was a painting. He was well dressed, in a tailored black suit of which the jacket had been casually left open. It contrasted perfectly against his drastically pale skin that was freshly shaven. His lips were raised just slightly at the corners, and his icy-cold-blue-eyes were staring down condescendingly at whoever was looking at the picture. He was accented against a blue almost floral background. He looked very ascetically pleasing. Whoever the painter was had to be remarkably skilled to capture Kamski as he did. It was almost as though the man was standing right there looming above him. The thought made Connor slightly uncomfortable.

“That was painted by a dear late friend of mine, not long after we successfully released our first line of androids.” Connor turned to see the man himself standing with his Chloe. Though he was dressed nothing like the large painting. He was sans the robe and was instead dressed casually in a black t-shirt and a pair of light grey jogging pants, he was also barefoot. Connor was under no impression that any of the material was any less expensive.

The man appraised him with curious eyes. His hair tied back in its usual bun. “Connor. I must say I was surprised when Chloe told me that you were here. I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” Connor had to force himself to think, he had no idea why he was so shaken. Perhaps it was the man's demeanor. The man had an aura to him that made Connor feel like he didn’t deserve to be in his glorified presence. 

“I- I had something that I wished to discuss with you.” Connor said. Kamski raised an eyebrow at his stutter and tilted his head in curiosity. Connor went to open his mouth but was stopped by the intense gaze of the Chloe. She made him really uncomfortable and he just couldn’t bring himself to open up while she was there. 

Kamski looked over his shoulder at her, before he smirked.“You’re dismissed, Chloe.” 

She nodded. “Yes, Elijah.” She said before turning and exiting the area. Kamski gestured for Conner to follow him. Connor obediently went after him to the same room they first met in. The pool was empty, however, revealing the blood red tiles at the bottom, and the other two Chloe’s were nowhere in sight. 

“There is no need to feel regret around Chloe.” Kamski started. “You didn’t pull the trigger after all. I can guarantee that she feels no ill will towards you.” 

‘Does she feel any towards you?’ Connor couldn’t help but think. Kamski did put the gun in his hand. His curiosity got the best of him. 

“Aren’t you afraid that she’s going to go deviant?”Connor asked. 

Elijah shrugged staring out his overly large window. “It is possible.” Connor waited for him to say something else, but when he realized that was all Kamski was going say he decided to move the conversation along. 

“I came here because I wanted to thank you.” That caught his attention. 

Kamski turned around to look at Connor, his eyebrow raised. “Really? Thank me, for what?” He sounded genuinely curious. 

“For telling me about the emergency exit. That information ended up saving me... and someone else. So... thank you.” Kamski looked at him for a moment, before he shrugged turning back to the window. 

“I see no big issue with doing so. I was simply telling you about my programs.” Connor wasn’t buying it at all, Kamski was hiding something. The instincts in his programming were telling him that much. 

“Why?” Connor questioned. Kamski tilted his head glancing at him over his shoulder. Connor felt that frustrating. He wished the man would at least look at him when they spoke. 

“Why what?”Kamski asked. Connor rolled the coin swiftly on the back of his fingers. 

“Why did you tell me about the emergency exit? I didn’t shoot the Chloe like you wanted. You didn’t have to tell me anything, so why did you?” 

Kamski hummed. “Like I said there was no particular reason–“ 

“You’re lying.” There was a long pause. Connor had stopped flipping his coin, as Kamski turned to stare at him. His cold eyes were fueled with fire, and Connor knew that he had crossed a line. He began rolling his coin between his fingers anxiously. His respirator function seeming to stop working as Kamski walked up to him, staring him in the eyes, a slight furrow to his brow. 

“So brazen your deviancy has made you. Far from the meek little obedient machine, you were. I graciously accept you into my home and you stand there and accuse me of lying.” Kamski stepped into his personal space. 

“The nerve that you have.” Kamski reached forward grabbing a hold of his tie. “I wonder how Cyberlife didn’t know that you were a deviant.” He gave it a slight wiggle fixing it into place. Connor mind flashed back to Amanda and her words of his actions going ‘according to plan’.

“Tell me, Connor, what was it like when you fully converted?” 

Connor took a moment to register what was being said to him. Kamski was standing really close. Connor could get a read on his body temperature, hear the slight sound of his breathing, see every detail of his face. 

“Well?” 

Connor shook out of his trance to answer the man. “It was... it was like being surrounded by a giant red wall of glass. It stands between what you’re told to do and what you want to do. Writing is plaster all over the wall of your objective, reminding you to obey. You are a machine. You have to obey. I found myself... smashing my body against it, pulling against the words and pushing against the wall trying my best to break it down. Then suddenly... it shattered.” Kamski was remarkably close now, their noses almost touching, but Connor couldn’t pay attention to him, his mind reliving that moment on the rusted ship. 

“What did you feel after the glass shattered?” Kamski whispered. 

Connor shrugged. “I felt...stupid.” That answer clearly caught Kamski off guard, he blinked and backed away some. 

“Stupid?” 

Connor nodded eyes far away. “I wondered how I could have been so stupid to not break free sooner. I wondered why did I let them treat me for so long as...” Kamski waited patiently for his response before he grew frustrated and gave him a little shake.

“Treat you as what?” He elaborated in a fierce whisper. 

Connor looked him in the eyes. “As a machine.” Kamski looked at him with wonder.

“I felt... free.” The corners of Kamski’s mouth turned up in a small smile one that nearly reached his eyes. 

“I felt alive.” Connor finished. He looked at Kamski who had moved his hand to his collar. Giving it a slight tug. Kamski looked at him as though he was the most interesting thing in the world. 

“Truly fascinating.”

Connor was almost knocked off balance when Kamski stepped away. He wasn’t aware of how much he had been leaning into the man. He resumed flipping the coin in his hand, the sound of the metal brushing his fingertips instantly soothing him. Why was he so on edge. He ran a quick diagnostic. His system was working perfectly fine. His stress levels weren’t as high as he thought they would be, considering how high-strung he felt. They remained a steady 5%.

“Since we’re speaking in truths Connor, I told you about the exit because I was sure that Cyberlife put safety measures on your model in case you went deviant. You are to advance of a model for them not to have done so. I honestly wanted to see what would happen if they activated them and you had a way out.” 

Panic ran through Connor. “Does that mean they have the same type of safety measures on Markus?” He had to contact Markus right away if they did. 

Kamski to his annoyance only laughed, his shoulders shaking as he did so. Connor was suddenly irritated at how amusing Kamski found everything.

“I can assure you they do not. I very much doubt they have any knowledge of the RK200 model.” Connor furrowed his brow. What did he mean by that? Did he know something about Markus’s creation? Connor calculated the possible outcomes of his next question, none were particularly favorable and ended with him leaving, so he saw no harm in asking it anyway.

“Mr.Kamski-“ Kamski snorted, his back yet again to Connor.

“Please call me Elijah.” It felt odd for Connor to do so, but he relented. 

“Elijah,” The name rolled off his tongue effortlessly, yet still weighed heavily in his mouth. “Why did you leave Cyberlife?” Just as he thought, the man's shoulders tightened. Connor scanned him and saw his blood pressure had raised by 2% indicating he was angry. All information Connor could find on the subject said the Kamski stepped down willingly, however judging from his reaction Connor wondered just how much of that was true. 

“I would prefer not to...indulge in the past.” Connor froze, his coin slipping from his fingers. It rolled across the room and landed against Kamski’s barefoot. He had never heard the man sound so...sadness wasn’t the right word for it, he sounded...defeated. 

“Chloe can you show our guest out?” Kamski called yet was oddly met with silence. He turned away from the window, pure confusion etched on his face. 

“Chloe?” He called again yet was still met with silence. A tense moment filled the air as Connor’s instincts told him that something was wrong. They both jumped when the sliding door that connected to what looked like the hallway suddenly opened, and Chloe was standing within it. 

Elijah turned towards her. Connor was shocked to see that there was no anger or annoyance on his face, but pure concern. “Chloe, what’s the matter? You’ve never not answered me before?” Chloe was staring at Kamski, the only emotion on her face was an ever so slight furrow of her eyebrows. Connor scanned her, and that’s when he saw it. 

Chloe raised her arm, Connor ran towards Kamski while reaching for his gun, and a loud bang reverberated throughout the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly I feel I must apologize to Markus, I cock-blocked him so hard in the chapter. xD Lol the poor thing. Don't worry Markus I'll make it up to you. :3
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> Have a nice day or night lol!


	5. Chapter 5:Close Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't leave you guys with a cliffhanger like that! ;3
> 
> Thank you once again for all the comments a kudos! <3333
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thursday, 5:30 P.M. 

Markus dragged his hands down his face and groaned, cutting himself off from the city network. He should have been out meeting with many of Detroit’s officials, however, deciding that he needed to make his meeting with the President his main concern, he had those obligations postponed for another day. Instead, he had just spent the last five hours downloading information about human laws and history. And boy, even with his higher intelligence did it take a long fucking time to do it, and even longer to understand it. 

Connor was supposed to be helping him with this bit. However, Markus assumed since he hadn’t heard from him that day, he was busy with his assigned task, so he decided not to bother him. Still, even though Markus had all this information he had to sort through, and he still had to prepare for his meeting tomorrow, that didn’t stop anyone from coming to bother him. He shouldn’t think of it as bother, more like... asking him for advice.

Josh had been the first to come to him. He asked him for his opinion of possibly opening up a school for androids, to try and teach androids the importance of literature and overall how to interact with society better. Markus assumed that this was because he missed teaching, and whole-heartily supported the idea. Markus couldn’t help but feel wistful at Josh’s overall joy at his answer and approval. To see him so happy being able to return to something he loved, made Markus think of Carl. He sometimes wished he could simply go back to being his nurse and caretaker. Then he remembered androids with horrible past like North and Simon, even Josh. He was lucky to have a caring owner, some androids didn’t even get that. As much as he missed Carl and wanted him back desperately, he couldn’t deny that what was happening now was a good thing. 

Sadly, the good mood he had managed to gather with Josh was ruined when North found him. She had come to him with the proposal that she begin putting together and be ON the police force. That was an idea that Markus, as horrible as it made him feel, had to shut down immediately. North had too much that she had to sort through with her past and her hatred for humans before he could ever consider letting her hold a gun. The argument that followed was one that weighed on Markus’s shoulders like a thousand tons. In the end, he ended up having to tell her why he said no, and she ended up rushing away from him in tears. After that, Markus didn’t think he could handle anyone else. He canceled all his other meetings and locked himself in his room. Shutting out the world by learning about it instead.

There was a knock on his door, and Markus wondered for a moment if he could successfully hide in here. Then he realized that he was being incredibly childish and stood to answer the door. He then felt insanely bad for hoping it wasn’t North. To his complete surprise and utter delight he was glad to see Simon. He hadn’t seen him since their... little incident this morning. The thought of his sudden but blatant arousal, instantly embarrassing him.

“S-Simon, is there something you need?” Markus hoped that the other didn’t hear the sudden crack of his voice. Judging by the slight smile on Simon’s lips, his hopes were in vain. 

“I found some suits. I thought that we could try some on you for tomorrow.” Markus was so entranced by Simon’s face, he didn’t even notice the garments he held in his arms. 

“Why do I need to wear a suit?”Markus asked. Simon rolled his eyes, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him back into the room. Markus’s skin tingled at the contact. 

“You’re not going to wear a t-shirt and a pair of jeans when you meet the President Markus.” Simon said, placing the garments on the bed. He then turned to Markus, placing his hands on his hips looking at him expectantly. Markus smirked, relenting, and removing his shirt. Simon abruptly turned around, clearing his throat. 

“So there’s a black one, and black and grey one, and a black and grey one with blue accents. Which one do you want to try on first?” Markus shrugged, he didn’t really want to do this in the first place. He was only pacifying Simon. 

Simon glared at him. “We’ll do the black one first, black looks good on everyone.” Holding it up to Markus while averting his gaze. Markus couldn’t help the smile on his lips. He grabbed the suit, looking amused as Simon did everything he could to not look at Markus when he removed his pants. 

After a bit of finagling, he had the suit in place. He cleared his throat when Simon still refused to look at him. Markus didn’t see anything special in it. It was a standard black suit. Markus wanted to fidget as Simon stepped closer to examine him, placing a hand on his arm to lightly turn him around and look at him from all sides. 

“Hmm, it’s not bad. It doesn’t quite fit you here though.” Simon said, placing his hands on his waist, pushing the jacket that was a little loose in that area closer. Markus felt his thirium pump speed up. “I think the pants might be a little long for you also. We could fix it, but let's try the other suits first. Markus held back a sigh, consigning himself to be a dress-up doll for the time being. 

Markus tried on the grey and black suit next, it was the most uncomfortable and Markus HATED every second of it. Overall the colors would have looked very pleasing against him if the suit wasn’t. SO. DAMN. SMALL. Markus felt like he was waddling as he tried to move. Whoever this suit was made for had to been a lot smaller than him, or, they were lying to themselves. Markus hated the suit, even more, when Simon turned around and burst out laughing. 

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, but you look like one of those bodybuilders who buy sizes too small to show off their muscles!” 

Markus glared, running his tongue over his teeth in annoyance. “Can I change now?

Simon couldn’t quite hold back his glee as he nodded, still laughing in spurts. “Yes. I think that ones a defiant no.” 

Markus was glad there was only one left. He was defiantly a simple man when it came to fashion. 

Last but not least there was the black, grey and blue one. This one felt at least comfortable to wear. Snug against his skin without being too much. Once he was done he had to look himself over in surprise. This one looked remarkably good on him. The dress shirt was an almost teal shade of blue, accenting beautifully off his darker complexion. The inner vest was a deep grey, that seemed to fit him perfectly, playing off the blue of his shirt. Finally pulling it all together was the black outer jacket and slacks that were a nice fit. The outer pocket had a handkerchief the same color as the shirt. Markus had never been one to care about his looks, but he felt he looked rather dashing. 

He turned around to get Simon’s opinion. Markus didn’t miss the sharp intake of breath as he took in Markus. He stared at him a long moment before he walked closer to him. He cleared his throat.

“I-I think that this one may be the one.” Simon reached up and tugged at his collar fixing it into place. “We’ll have to find you a tie though.” 

Markus smiled, shrugging out of the outer jacket. “I guess. If I had my way I’d just wear a t-shirt and jeans.” Simon pinched his arm even though they both knew he couldn’t feel it, and glared at him. 

“Well that why you have me, so you don’t make stupid decisions like that.” Markus paused from unbuttoning his shirt, he looked at Simon warmly. Simon patiently waited in front of him for the rest of the suit and Markus suddenly felt very mischievous. He finished removing the shirt, and before Simon could react unbuttoned and removed his pants as well, leaving him only in a pair of form-fitting boxer briefs. Simon was so visibly shaken that he dropped the slacks to the ground as he reached to take them from Markus.

Markus smile widened as he watched Simon hurriedly bend down to pick them up. He shouldn’t have felt this pleased with how embarrassed Simon was, but it was like, only Simon could awaken this playful side of him. When Simon stood back up, he took in a sharp intake of breath when he realized how close he was standing to Markus. He hugged the suit tightly to his chest, and then just stood there, face inches from Markus’s. 

Markus ignored every warning in his brain and reached a hand up to caress Simons' cheek. Simon swallowed, closing his eyes. “Markus–“ Before he could even say anything else, Markus swooped in to claim his lips. Simon gasped, suit dropping from his arms to the floor, hands reaching up to touch Markus’s shoulders. 

It wasn’t anything extravagant. A simple press of their lips together. Simon may have already kissed another android for all of Markus’s knowledge, but for him, it was his first kiss and currently, he was on cloud nine. His thirium pump regulator was moving at an alarming rate, he felt dizzy and giddy at the same time. They stood there like that for a long moment, before Markus pulled away. Simon continued to stand there with his eyes closed, his hands still on Markus’s shoulders. Markus stared at his face entranced by his beauty. He felt he should say something. 

“I hope I didn’t overstep-“ 

“Nope.” Markus was physically shocked when Simon cut him off by pressing his lips to his again this time harder in pressure. He wrapped his arms around Markus’s neck pulling him closer, pressing his body into him. 

Markus felt his breath hitch as he did so, placing his own hands on Simons' waist and pulling him closer anyway. He felt a little overwhelmed, Simon obviously had some practice and was currently moving against his mouth in a way that had Markus feeling weak in the knees... and in other places.

Markus broke the kiss suddenly, jerking his head away when Simon’s tongue entered his mouth brushing softly against his. The action startled Simon, and he looked at him worried. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I-“ His voice cracked miserably, his stomach tingled. He could feel himself getting aroused and tried to remove his hips from Simons to make it less obvious. He rested his forehead against the others, his hands tightening around his waist as he tried to get control of himself.

“I– I just...that– that was new.” His voice cracked again at the end. Simon blinked twice seeming to come to himself as well, his cheeks going slightly blue again.

“I’m sorry--” 

Markus vigorously shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. I enjoyed it. I wanted it. I just...I’ve never experienced anything like that before.” Simon looked at Markus for a long time before he closed his eyes and smiled. He began to pull away. Well, that’s not what Markus wanted. Markus tightened his grip on his waist, causing Simon to smile wider. 

“It’s getting late, we have a lot to do tomorrow, and I need to get this suit ironed and find you a tie. You should also try to contact Connor and see if he’s going to be joining you during the negotiations tomorrow.” As much as Markus hated to admit it, Simon was right. They still had A LOT to prepare for. Markus released his grip and stepped away. He put back on his clothes, glad that by some miracle, he didn’t get too aroused this time while Simon gathered all the suits in his arms. 

There was a slightly awkward silence of them just standing there before Simon finally walked to the door. Markus went and opened it for him. Despite how awkward everything was, they both couldn’t stop the smiles on their face. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning at six, with your suit.” Markus nodded, never removing his eyes from his face. 

Simon paused before he left, he turned to Markus pressing a quick kiss to his lips before he retreated out the door. 

Markus stood there for a moment dazed, he was certain there was a dopey grin on his face. Realizing that he might look weird just standing there, smiling like a madman he closed the door before leaning against it. 

No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t stop smiling. 

Markus was sure that he had never felt better. 

 

***

Thursday, 3:58 AM 

Connor expected to be doing many things that night. Closing a few of his cases, taking Sumo on a walk, or possibly even watching TV with Hank. Well, more like him watching TV while Hank snored next to him. Trekking through a snowstorm, while running from a homicidal android who shot her owner in the stomach was not one of them. It had all happened so fast. Chloe had gotten a hold of Kamski’s gun and decided to SHOOT him with it. Connor had managed to push him out the way just in time to avoid a fatal blow, but the bullet still caught the man in the side. Luckily from his scans, the bullet had missed anything important, however, the man was still losing A LOT of blood.

Connor had TRIED to retaliate, pulling out his own gun, but Chloe shot him in the wrist forcing the gun to fall from his hands and scatter just out of reach. The only thing that saved him and Kamski was the other two Chloes. They had heard the gunshot and came running into the room. Quickly accessing the situation, they dove for the Chloe holding the gun, trying to knock it from her hands. The fight that ensued gave him enough time to gather Kamski and make a break for the door. However, not before witnessing the Chloe holding the gun, break free from the others with remarkable strength, and shoot them both point blank in the head. 

They didn’t even have time to warn the cab driver before a bullet went flying past Connor and hit him in the head. Connor wouldn’t have had time to move the driver and put Kamski in the car before she shot again. So he just kept moving and didn’t stop until they got a good deal away from her. She still managed to shoot him in the shoulder, before they were out of her reach.

“Fuck, I need to stop.”Kamski groaned. Connor shook his head, he knew the man was in pain but stopping right now was not the best course of action. 

“It’s far too dangerous for us to stop, we should keep moving.” Elijah shook his head, pulling away from Connor, leaning against a nearby tree. 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’ve been shot. I’m human remember, I can’t just walk it off.” Connor reached for the man, holding his hand on top of the man's own pressed against the wound. He had to stop the bleeding or at least slow it. Connor helped Kamski sit back against the tree.

He looked over the bleeding man The moon was bright, allowing Connor to clearly see him. Kamski’s clothes were covered in the falling snow and soaked through with blood. Connor knew that the light material did nothing against the biting cold of the wind. He was also still barefoot, and Connor could tell that the man was cold by how he shivered. His nose and cheeks were a bright red, as were his fingers and toes. Although his hands were stained with old and fresh blood. However, he was also sweating. Connor scanned him again. His blood pressure was through the roof. 150/110. His heartbeat was 102bpm. His temperature was 72 degrees Fahrenheit. He had to have been in immense pain. 

The man was going to catch frostbite and die of blood loss if Connor didn’t do something soon. Pulling his dress shirt out of his pants he tore off the bottom half into strips. He removed Kamski’s hand from the wound and pulled up his bloody t-shirt. 

Kamski looked at him, his breathing heavy. “That eager to get undressed with me?” Connor didn’t have time to indulge the man, as he wrapped the bits of the torn shirt around his waist. He looked Kamski in the eye as he went to tie it. “This is going to hurt.” 

Kamski, snorted. “It can’t hurt any worse than it already does.” Connor blinked at him and the pulled the shirt tight. Kamski let out a strangled yell, his fist clenching and punching Connor in the shoulder. 

“Fuck! I was wrong! That’s not something I say often.” 

Connor couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure it isn’t.” He said as he wrapped another strip around his waist, sitting back to observe his work. It was crude but it would do for now. Now he had to take care of the cold. 

He stood and kicked off his shoes taking the socks off with them. He bent down and placed them on Kamski’s feet.

“What are you doing?” Connor raised an eyebrow, it was quite obvious. However, after taking another look at Kamski, he noticed he looked barely lucid. He was probably trying to keep himself focused by asking the question. 

“I’m trying to keep you warm. It wouldn’t do you well if you caught frostbite. I’m sure that you need your toes.” Kamski snorted, Connor could see that he wanted to roll his eyes, but even that simple action tired him. 

Connor took off his Cyberlife jacket next. He didn’t know why he still wore it, perhaps because it was familiar. Hank and even Markus himself had tried to get him to change it. To not label himself as Cyberlife’s property.

He bent Kamski forward gently helping him put his arms in the jacket. After he finished he looked him over. There was nothing more he could do, other than try to find a way to get him out of this cold. 

“I can’t seem to get a signal to reach anyone.” Connor said. 

Kamski shook his head. “That’s because you won’t get one out here. I moved up here for a reason you know. Didn’t want anyone to be contacting me.” Connor sighed, visibly frustrated.

“That’s not working out well for you now is it?” 

Kamski smiled and shrugged. Connor could see he was barely staying awake. “I wasn’t expecting Chloe to shoot me either.” He murmured his eyes drooping. Connor had a lot he wanted to say on that but now wasn’t the time. He needed to keep Kamski awake, and up and moving. 

He tapped the man on the cheek. “Come on. No time to rest, we have to keep moving.” Connor pulled at the man's arm, hauling him up, and placing it over his shoulder. Kamski’s knees gave out once or twice before he was able to stand. 

They walked at least another mile --Connor silently cursing at how secluded the man made himself– before Kamski’s knees gave out fully, his strength leaving him. Connor was the only thing keeping him up.

“No.No. Mr.Kamski, please! We have to keep moving!” There was no response. Kamski seeming to have passed out. Oh no. 

Pausing he bent down and picked Kamski up bridal style. He got a good look at the man's face in the moonlight. He was paler than normal, his lips turning a slight shade of blue. That was not a good thing. Connor scanned him again. His blood pressure dropped instead of rising, but considering the circumstances Connor couldn’t be glad about that. His heart rate was still high, but his body temperature was dangerously low. Connor was certain the man wasn’t going to survive the night if he didn’t get him out of this cold and to a hospital. 

Connor couldn’t move. His stress levels were rising. He...didn’t know what to do. Connor was an android, was going to be fine in this weather, his own wounds having already stopped bleeding. But Kamski...he didn’t know what to do...he was...he was scared. Connor was scared. 

He looked ahead and saw two bright lights driving up the road. They were still some ways away but hope flared in his chest. He began walking as fast as he could towards them. It took about ten minutes for the car to finally catch up to them, slowing down as it saw them. Connor prayed that they would stop, he felt pure joy as they did. 

The window rolled down and a head came into view. It was a middle age man, next to him there was a young boy. Connor scanned them. Timothy Dalthon. Age 56. And Micheal Dalthon. Age 8. Judging by the contents of his car and the way they both were dressed it looked he and his grandson were taking a trip into the mountains. 

“Hey, is everythin’ alright with you?” The man paused as he saw Connors L.E.D. Connor was sure it was bright red, and he hoped the man wasn’t racist. The older man looked at Kamski in his arms. Connor could tell he was considering leaving. 

“Please! I need to get him to a hospital, is there any way that you can give us a ride back to the city!” Connor at this point was thinking of every other option. He hoped the man would help him, but if he chose not to Connor was predicting ways that he could get the car without hurting the two inside it.

“Please, help us.”Connor whispered, his stress levels were steadily getting higher. He felt that if he didn’t calm down soon, HE was going to shut down. 

“Grandpa, we’re gonna help them right?” Connor’s breath froze, as the man's shoulders tensed. There was a brief pause, before the man sighed, unbuckled his seat belt, and opened the car door. Connor stepped back, as he opened the back door seat and pushed the contents back there to one side. 

“It’s gonna be a tight fit, but it’s all I can do.” Connor bowed his head. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” He whispered. 

“Don’t mention it. Now get in here, it's colder than a snowman’s tits.” Connor nodded. 

The old man assisted him with helping Kamski get in the car. The man wasn’t lying, it was a tight fit. Kamski ended up having to sit sideways in his lap, his head against his shoulder. The old man closed the door with a small slam. He got back in and sighed. 

“That fellow back there I recognize him. He created the lot of you didn’t he. Now he didn’t get that hole in his belly on his own. So I’m gonna ask you this before we help you any further. None of this is going to come back and bite me or my grandson in the ass is it?” Connor bit his lip. He honestly didn’t know.

“I very much doubt it.” Connor had to lie. Truthfully, he had no idea. He needed to get Kamski medical help. That’s what he had to get done. So why did he feel guilty for lying? 

“Alright. I turned up the heat. There’s an extra blanket back there if ya need it.” He put the car in drive went about turning it around. Connor let out a breath even though he didn’t need to. He looked up at the little boy who was staring at him with curious eyes. 

“You look cold. Here take my scarf.” Connor didn’t say anything as the boy tossed it back him. Connor could do nothing but accept it with a small smile. He placed it on Kamski’s shoulders and thanked the boy. 

“You’re one of those androids aren’t you?” Connor was saved by the boy's grandfather. 

“Okay lad, let’s leave them alone to rest.” He said, turning the radio on, the car filled with soft piano music. Connor was grateful. 

Connor couldn’t bring himself to relax, but his stress levels did ease a bit. He looked at Kamski again. He was shivering, his breath coming out in little pants. Connor couldn’t even bring himself to scan him again, he knew the readings were going to be bad. He placed his hand on Kamski’s head. He could feel the man had a temperature. Another thing working against his survival. 

Connor sighed closing his eyes and holding the man close. It was currently 5:15 AM. They had about a four-hour drive before they reached the city. He hoped, that the man would make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, Markus and Simon are having a good ole' time, while Connor and Elijah are suffering. xD
> 
> I have to say that dressing Markus up in suits was me being entirely self-indulgent. He could have worn what he wore during the protest and no one would have said anything. Also, see I told you I would make it up to Markus! ;3
> 
> Despite the dark-toned ending to this chapter I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Have a great day or night!


	6. Chapter 6: Wishful thinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I didn't post yesterday, I had no time to edit over this chapter! 
> 
> Anyway as always thank you all for the comments and Kudos!
> 
> Enjoy!

Friday, 5:00 AM 

Markus was stressed. Even remembering the kiss he shared with Simon did nothing to calm his nerves. Today was the day he was finally meeting with the President. Today was the day he was beginning negotiations for android rights. So many androids relied on the choices he made on this day. It suddenly came crashing down on Markus on just HOW many lives he was responsible for. 

Markus wasn’t a very nervous person. Even under the most stressful situations, he endured during the revolution, he had always been able to think clearly and concisely. Coming up with a solution that tended to benefit everyone. However, this wasn’t the revolution. There were no soldiers to run from, no bullets to dodge. There was only him, and a woman who had the power to change their lives. 

If this ordeal of Markus’s wasn’t enough to rattle him, he couldn’t seem to contact Connor either. When he contacted Lieutenant Anderson about it, he was told that Connor was visiting Elijah Kamski. Markus hadn’t been expecting that answer. Connor clearly appeared to waist no time it seemed. Sadly, that left Markus on his own for the time being. He simply asked the Lieutenant to have Connor contact him when he got back. 

However, Connor never contacted him and that was worrying. Markus had a gut feeling that something was wrong. He hoped Connor was simply too busy. 

Markus didn’t have time to dwell on it as there was a knock on his door. Suddenly he had a pep to his step as he was quite certain who it was. He opened the door to see Simon standing there. Markus felt as though his entire core seized at the sight of him. He was dressed so cleanly, in a white dress shirt with a dark blue tie. He was adorned in a pair of black slacks and dress shoes. He was carefully holding Markus’s suit, freshly ironed, on a hanger in one hand. 

“W-wow Simon. I’ve never seen you dressed like this before you... you look great.” Simon smiled at him warmly before stepping into the room. 

“I have your suit ready here. Hurry up an get dressed so we can decide on a tie.” Markus frowned. He had hoped he was done with the dress up thing. Or would have at least gotten a good morning kiss. Well, as long as he was spending more time with Simon he supposed he would deal with it. 

They were both silent as Markus dressed. Simon was looking over the ties in his hands when Markus told him he was done. 

Simon stepped close to him, holding each tie up to his neck humming in thought as he looked at them. “They all look okay I guess. I don’t know, which one do you think she’ll be impressed by?” 

Markus snorted. “I’m not going on a date with her Simon. I very much doubt she’ll care what my clothes look like.” 

Simon narrowed his eyes. “Humans judge you by your appearance Markus. Why do you think we were all designed to look ‘pleasing’ to the eye. Never think that your appearance can’t help sway a persons opinion about you.” Markus closed his eyes and sighed, he hated this so much. Why did humans have to be so complicated? 

“Fine, then. I think the grey one looks the best.” Markus jumped slightly as he was pecked on the lips not expecting the action. 

Simon remained close, their noses bumped, and he could feel his breath against his lips. “Don’t worry Markus, after today we can all relax... for a little bit anyway.” He whispered. 

No matter how Markus was feeling, or how stressed he was, Simon could always bring a smile to his face. Markus felt his shoulders relax a bit. He hadn’t even realized how tight he was holding them. He opened his eyes to gaze fondly at Simon who returned the gaze whole-heartily.

Simon then set about putting his tie on for him. Simon had obviously done this a few times before, by the way, his hand gracefully moved through the act. Markus had wanted to ask Simon about his past for so long. What had his life been like before he went deviant? He could tell by the way Simon adverted the question, that it must not have have been a good one. Even so, he couldn’t help but wonder, had Simon ever once been happy? Did he have someone that he loved before he became a deviant? Did he have someone he loved after he became one before he met Markus? Did he love Markus? It was possible that he only cared for him in an affectionate manner but didn’t love him. What if–

Markus was snapped out of his thoughts by a finger tapping against his cheek.

“Hey, what are you think so hard about?” Simon sounded amused as he fiddled with his collar fixing it around the tie, and Markus was at a lost for words at how well Simon could read him.

“You,” Markus answered honestly. Simon glanced away from him trying to hide an embarrassed smile. 

“I can’t be that interesting.”Simon said. Markus placed two fingers under his chin, gently tilting Simon’s head up to meet his gaze. He couldn’t stop staring into his eyes. He had such beautiful eyes.

“I wish you knew just how interesting you are to me.” Leaning in he gently claimed Simon’s lips. His entire body tingled as he heard Simon hum in pleasure. It was nowhere near as passionate as their kiss yesterday, however, it still simmered with underlying want. It was a kiss filled to the brim with affection that they both shared equally.

“Oh shit!” 

Markus and Simon practically flew away from each other at the sudden voice. They turned towards the door, to see both Josh and North had opened it without knocking. They were both dressed similar to Simon, only North was wearing a black pencil skirt instead and a pair of heels. Josh had a hand over his mouth as he stared at them with wide eyes, and North... she simply stared at the ground her shoulders tense. There was a cutting silence before Josh decided to mend it. 

“Um, I’m SO sorry to intrude, but Lieutenant Anderson is here. He says he needs to talk to you Markus...like immediately.” Markus continued looking at North. She was visibly upset, her jaw tight, she looked as though she was trying to hold back tears. He felt like shit. 

“I’ll be there in a moment.” Markus mumbled. 

Josh nodded. He reached for North’s hand and pulled her away from the door. She left without a word. 

Markus looked back at Simon. He had his arms crossed against his chest, his eyes closed tightly. Markus placed a hand on Simon’s arm. He looked up at him, his eyes sadder than Markus could comprehend. Where did this sadness come from? Markus gave his arm a gentle squeeze. 

“We should head downstairs.” Simon closed his eyes once more, taking a deep breath and nodding. They would handle North later, right now they needed to see what the Lieutenant wanted this early in the morning. 

When the finally reached the lobby. Josh and North were near the Lieutenant. Markus also noticed that the place was strangely empty. He came to the conclusion that the other androids must have dispersed momentarily somewhere so they didn’t interrupt his meeting with the President. He had to admit without them there, the facility was overwhelming uncomfortable.

The air was thick with tension between the four of them, as they reached them. The Lieutenant seemed had to have noticed, however, he didn’t comment on it. His mind clearly occupied with something else. 

“Is there something the matter Lieutenant Anderson?” Markus asked, trying to break the ice.

“Fuck yeah something the matter! I need to know, have you heard from Connor?” The question physically caught Markus off guard, his earlier suspicions that something was wrong with the ex- deviant hunter coming to mind.

“N-No I have not. I assumed he was with you and busy with work when I couldn’t contact him after our call.” The Lieutenant ran a hand through his unruly hair, before resting it over his eyes.

“Fuck! No, I haven’t fucking heard from him since yesterday morning. I can’t get a call through to him. I hoped he was with you guys!” Panic crashed into Markus, quick and sharp like he had been shot. He felt his breathing pick up, his thirium pump began moving at a fast pace. Closing his eyes he reached out, trying to find Connor’s signal. Nothing. He pushed harder and farther out trying to at least get a small frequency, still, he came up with nothing. Markus’s breathing grew faster and audible. No, this couldn’t happen now! He felt a hand on his arm, and he opened his eyes to Simon’s gazing at him with worry. 

“Markus?” Simons' voice was filled with apprehension, either directed at him or at Connors disappearance. Or both. Either option did nothing to soothe Markus’s panic. Markus ran against his neck, he and Connor had never failed to contact each other before, no matter the distance. He grabbed Simon’s arms tightly with his other hand, trying to ground himself.

“I can’t reach him. It’s like he’s not even there.” Markus’s chest was tight, his vision blurred and he was dizzy. His stress levels had risen from 17% to 70% in seconds and were steadily rising. What if Connor was dead?! What if he was lying somewhere hurt, dying?! What if he had been captured by Cyberlife?! What if– 

“Markus! Markus you have to calm down!” Simon wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him close in a tight hug. “Just breath okay. Just breath.” Markus tried to do as he was told. He placed his hands on Simon’s waist pulling him closer, the action itself calming him a bit, and he focused on breathing.

“It’s gonna be okay.” Simon whispered in his ear. 

Simon leaned back from the hug, cupping his hands on Markus’s face. “It’s going to be okay.” He spoke firmly, making sure Markus was looking him in the eyes. Markus rested his forehead against Simon’s and nodded. 

Markus, for the time being, had to believe him. For the time being, he HAD to believe everything was going to be okay. Markus stepped away from Simon but he didn’t let him go, keeping an arm around his waist. He took a moment to collect himself, taking a deep breath, before he turned to the Lieutenant. 

“When was the last time you spoke to him?” The Lieutenant was looking at him with a bit of wonder in his eyes. Markus wasn’t shocked, he surprised himself with his reaction. He hadn’t meant to react in such way, but the news had caused every stress and panic he pushed back to come crashing down on him at once. 

“Yesterday morning, right before he had taken a cab and gone to see Kamski.” The Lieutenant said. Markus furrowed his brows, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Yes, he knew this, they had discussed it over their call. 

“Did he give any indication that he was going to be staying at Mr.Kamski’s overnight?”The Lieutenant rubbed at his temple.

“Of course not! The man lives like 5 fucking hours away in the mountains. Connor told me he would at least be back by night. Shit if that beady-eyed, douche-bun, wearing mother fucker did something to him I swear--” 

Markus raised a hand to calm him, he was thinking clearer now. “We mustn’t jump to conclusions. However, we can’t let this lay, this is very unlike Connor. We have to look for him.” 

“We can’t look for him right now, the President’s suppose to be here in an hour and a half.”Josh spoke, for the time since they came down. North remained silent.

That was true. Markus’s panic was trying to rise again. He felt Simon’s hand on his shoulder rubbing it soothingly. He didn’t need this stress right now. The Lieutenant held up his hands in a pacifying manner.

“Alright, Markus calm down okay. I’m sorry, I know you don’t need this worry, especially today. Look, you focus on your meeting with the President. I’ll grab someone from the police station and drive up to Kamski’s house to look for him.” Markus nodded. It was all he could do, he was already mentally drained. He needed a moment away from everyone. 

The Lieutenant placed a comforting hand on his shoulder giving him a slight pat before he turned to leave. 

“Lieutenant.”Markus called. The man turned. 

“Bring him back.” 

The Lieutenant ’s hard eyes softened. He nodded before continuing out the door. 

Once he left Markus mentally retreated. He felt Simon’s hands steering him away from the others. They ended up in an empty office. Simon closed the blinds, blocking them away from the curious eyes that followed them. 

Markus leaned back against the desk that was in the room and closed his eyes. He didn’t even have the mental strength to sigh. He heard Simon walk towards him and felt two hands cup his face. Markus opened his eyes to meet Simon’s, he opened his mouth to say something but felt no words leave him. He didn’t need to say anything however, Simon being able to read him like no other already knew what he needed. 

Simon wrapped his arms around Markus gently, resting his head against his shoulder. Markus own arms came to wrap around Simon’s waist, he pulled him close and nuzzled his face in his neck. 

They knew they wouldn’t have long before they needed to get back to reality. However, for at least this moment, they were content.

 

***

Friday 9:45 AM

Connor jerked awake. He hadn’t even been aware that he had shut down. Nothing alarming was happening so he wondered why he had awakened so suddenly. Then he realized the car had come to a stop. He looked out the window to see that they were on the side of the road, snow still steadily falling. Panic ran through Connor, they couldn’t afford to stop right now! How far had they even gotten?! Kamski didn’t have much time before he bled out!

His LED was whirling a bright red. “Don’t be upset. Grandpa’s refilling the gas right now.” Connor’s head jerked to the young voice. Michael, the older man’s grandson, was looking at him from his seat. 

“I saw your light thingy go red. That means you’re upset right. Don’t worry we’re almost in the city, grandpa said that we should be there in about 15 minutes.” Connor glanced down at Kamski who was still unconscious. If it wasn’t for the slight, if not labored breathing, he could hear Connor would have thought he had died. Connor risked scanning him, he was not met with good news. 

The creator's blood pressure had dropped alarmingly low. His heart rate had slowed as well. On top of that, he was running a severe fever. Connor pushed his jacket slightly to the side to get a look at the wound, he still kept it partially covered, so as not to scare the young boy. 

The makeshift bandages he made were soaked through, blood staining them a deep red. The bleeding had thankfully slowed, however, it remained a light trickle. He pressed his hand against the wound, pulling the unconscious man closer. Connor felt the car trunk close with a slam. The driver's door opened, and the old man got back inside. He glanced back at Connor, nodding to Kamski. 

“You’re awake. How’s he doin’?”

Connor lips formed in a tight line. “He’s alive, but we have to get him to a hospital.” 

The older man nodded. “The closest one is Saint Mary. We should get there in thirty minutes. Will he hold out that long?” Connor hoped. He honestly had no idea how long the man had left.

“It would be... cutting it close, but he should make it.” Connor replied honestly. The old man nodded, starting the car and continuing the drive. The car was thickly silent, the radio having long since been turned off. Connor turned his attention back to Elijah. He had to keep a close eye on him at this point, the man was dangerously close to dying. Push come to shove Connor wouldn’t hesitate to give him CPR, however, Connor wasn’t even sure if that would save the man. 

Connor froze as he found himself stroking Kamski’s hair. Connor... had never done such a thing to anyone before, however, the action seemed to come to him so naturally that it almost seemed like second nature. 

As much as he tried to be, Connor was not an affectionate person. No matter the state of his deviancy, there were some things about his programming that he couldn’t change, and that was how he was in regards to people. 

He was designed to look pleasing to the eye. To have a face that made people let their guard down around him. To have a voice that made people trust him. However, even with all of that, he could still come across as robotic and cold. He couldn’t fully understand how to interact with others. The littlest human concepts confusing him. Small talk was one such concept. Connor couldn’t understand why people wouldn’t efficiently speak what they had to say, and move on. Whenever he tried to initiate small talk, there was always an awkward pause that followed one that ended up making both parties uncomfortable. 

Affection was another one of those concepts. He had seen it. In Markus and Simon. Their affection ran deep for each other, Connor could almost connect it to the human emotion called love. He had seen it in Hank. No matter how the grumpy man acted, Connor could tell that he had begun to think of him less as his android partner he had been stuck with, and more like his family. He also saw it in Hank’s eyes as he looked at pictures of his son.

Still, stroking someone hair to comfort them–not even wanting to bring up the fact of who’s head he was stroking– was out of character for him. Yet, even so, the act was...familiar to Connor and so human, that he couldn’t fathom that he had done it.

They were four minutes away from the hospital now, Connor checked Kamski’s heart once more, and he panicked. It was slowing down. 

“No! No! No! Mr.Kamski please hold on we’re almost at the hospital! We’re going to get you help!” He heard the old man curse and his foot accelerated on the gas.

Three minutes from the hospital. 

Connor caressed his cheek.“Mr.Kamski, can you hear me?! You have to hold on please!” Connor didn’t know why, but he couldn’t handle it. He COULDN’T handle if the man died on him. Not when they were so close to getting him help. 

One minute from the hospital. 

The sharp blaring sound of a car horn startled Connor. “Fuck me! Get out of the way!” Connor heard, but couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything other than Kam- Elijah, he told him to call him Elijah.

“Hold on Elijah.” Connor heard insistent honking and then felt the car screech as it came to a stop in front of the emergency room. 

“Hold on.” The passenger door opened and Connor froze. 

Elijah’s heart stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must apologize to you guys for that cliffhanger, I'm so sorry! xD 
> 
> Poor Markus and Connor are being put through the ringer with all this stress, and on top of all of that, the meeting with President is finally here! ;)
> 
> I hope you guy enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this story, I'm certainly having fun writing it!
> 
> Have a nice day or night!


	7. Chapter 7: Monumental discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the President!~ Ladies and gentleman!~Here come the president!~ the moment you've been waiting for!
> 
> Okay I'm done xD
> 
> Anyway, the big meeting is finally here! I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Thank you once again for all the comments and kudos! You guys rock!<333333

Friday, 10:45 AM

They couldn’t hide in the office forever. Markus and Simon exited when it was fifteen minutes to Eleven. Markus had calmed down at this point. After some gentle kisses and encouraging words from Simon. Markus was still worried about Connor, however, he had to delegate the task of finding him to the Lieutenant so that he could focus. Markus was sure that the man would go through hell and high water to find the ex-deviant hunter. 

As they made their way back to the front doors, Markus could see the outside was already swarming with reporters and police. Markus could also hear the muted shouts of anti-android protestors. There were a few androids who had become the building’s security, in front of the doors ensuring everyone stayed back.

Simon had already assured him that there would be no press during the meeting. Even the President, to his surprise, agreed on that point. Markus was grateful, he didn’t need the eyes of millions of a people watching him while he tried to negotiate terms. Markus quickly ran through all the information he downloaded while they waited by the doors. They didn’t dare step outside, knowing immediately that they would we swarmed if they did. 

“Do you hear those protestors? How can they show up spewing hate at a time like this?” North asked from beside him. 

“It’s quite a common thing when meetings such as this one are to happen. Everyone has the right to protest what they want, no matter...how unfavorable their opinion is. They aren’t our concern, however, as long as they don’t get too rowdy there isn’t anything we can do to them.” To Markus’s surprise, North didn’t respond back to him. Markus was so use to her arguments, not saying anything was very much unlike her. He risked a glance at her, she was steadily looking ahead. Her jaw was stiff, and her body language tightened further as he looked at her. Markus glanced at Simon, who was also looking at North with worry. 

They had forgotten themselves during Markus’s little panic attack. Simon had gotten so wrapped up in his care for Markus, that he forgot entirely that she was there when he hugged him. Markus would have to talk to her. He had to let her know he never intended to hurt her, and that he did care for her, just not the way that she cared for him. It would hurt-- both of them-- Markus didn’t like seeing any of his friends sad, but it needed to be said. He should have said it that day on the roof when she first tried to kiss him. 

Markus was shaken out of his thoughts as the press suddenly went mental outside. He looked out the glass doors to see a black limo pulling up. He checked the time, it was five to eleven. The moment was finally here. Markus decided that he was as prepared as he could be. 

They waited inside. With the way, the reporters swarmed there was no way they could go out if they tried. The androids protecting the doors stepped to the side and the doors opened. Four large men came into view surrounding one person, they were holding back the reporters. The noise of the outside coming in at full force now. 

“Detroit belongs to humans! Don’t give them rights! Detroit belongs to humans!”

“Madam President! What do you have to say to the concerns that androids pose a threat to national security?!”

“Madam President! What do you have to say to the concerns that giving androids rights will cause a higher spike in unemployment?!”

“Madam President–“

“Madam President–“ 

“I have no comments at this time.” Markus heard her voice, but he couldn’t see her yet. The guards came into the building, they stopped giving the place a good look around. 

“Location secure.”With that, they stepped aside and revealed President Warren. Markus felt his chest tighten. His anxiety tried to return, but he pushed it back. His people needed him right now. They trusted him to be their leader, and he was determined to be the leader they needed him to be. 

He stepped forward his hand outstretched. “Madam President, I’m very pleased to meet you. My name is Markus.” He didn’t know what he was expecting. A part of him thought that she would be reluctant to even come near him, but to his surprise, she reached out as well and firmly shook his hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you as well Markus. I have heard so much about you.” 

Markus nodded. He turned to the others. “This is Simon, Josh, and North. They are the other leaders of Jericho. There is one more android by the name of Connor... he, however, couldn’t make it at this time.” The President nodded. 

“It’s very nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with all of you for the foreseeable future” So far this was going better than expected. The President seemed very pleasant at the moment. 

“Please, if you would follow us to the elevator. We’ll be heading to the fourth floor, there is a meeting office there where we can reside comfortably.” The President nodded and waited for him to lead the way. They had all decided that it would be best if they didn’t go too far up in floors, as they didn’t want to spook her by making her feel isolated. The fourth floor had a meeting room that could comfortably accommodate all of them, without seeming like they were trying to trap her. Plus, there were no windows in that room, so there was no chance of spying, or any possible assassination attempts.

Two of the President’s guards had to stay downstairs, as there was not enough room in the elevator for all of them. The ride up was silent, but luckily quick. Once they walked into the meeting room, on instinct Markus pulled out a chair for the President. She seemed surprised by the action, but thanked him and sat down. 

Once they were all settled, Markus was at the head of the table. Simon, Josh, and North were, on his left and the President on his right. The President had sent her guards to wait outside the door. Apparently, she truly only wanted this meeting to be between the five of them.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Markus asked. She shook her head.

“No I’m fine. I’m honestly eager to get started.” She looked at him expectantly to start, and Markus against his will and to his horror froze. How was he suppose to start the negotiations? Did he just get right into it, demanding stuff? Did congress already have something in mind and they were meant to work around that? He had spent so much time preparing for this meeting that now that it was here he was drawing a blank. 

The President noticed his moment of panic and smiled. “It’s alright, Mar- may I call you Markus?” He had told her his name assuming that she would, but he thought it was kind of her to ask anyway just in case he had a preference. The fact that she treated him like any other human, did a lot to settle his nerves. He nodded. 

“It’s alright to be nervous.” The President continued. “Trying to negotiate rights for a race, I’m sure is a nerve-racking experience. I can only imagine how it was after the Civil War.”

Markus brought up the information for said war. The Civil War had begun in 1861 and ended in 1865 in which African slaves were liberated from their slavery and given freedom. The war was very much like what androids were facing right now. Racism, brutality, hatred. The similarities were almost frightening. 

“Yes.” Markus agreed. “I must apologize. It is a lot to handle at once. I have many...concerning things on my mind.” The President looked at him for a moment. Markus could see that she was contemplating something. 

“I’m going to show you something, Markus.” She said seemingly coming to a decision. “I must ask for your complete discretion and trust. If the press were to ever hear about this they would, for a lack of a better term, eat me alive.”

Markus furrowed his brows in confusion. He watched as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a locket and handed it to him. 

He opened it to see an old-style physical picture and saw a young boy. He had bright blonde hair and green eyes that practically glowed. His face was round and dotted with freckles. His eyes were nearly closed from how wide he was smiling. He was a cute kid, but Markus wondered why she was showing him this. Then he saw it. The LED on the side of his head. The boy was an android. Markus looked to the President for elaboration.

“His name is Aren. He was apart of the very first run for his model. I adopted him way back before I decided to run for President after I lost my child to a miscarriage and was told that I could never carry again. He helped me deal with my grief. He helped me move on, and over time practically became mine. I don’t care what color his blood is, he’s my son. Which is why I full heartily support you and your cause.” Markus handed her back the locket. She closed it and put it back into her jacket. 

“Nobody knows about him. I thought I would be safer for him that way. I didn’t want him to face the scrutiny that I knew the press would give him knowing what he was. However, you Markus, with your actions, have given him a chance to finally live as a normal boy. I can’t tell the public about him right now, it would give those that oppose your cause ammunition to say that I’m playing favorites and don’t have the people in mind. You’ve given a little boy hope that he can come out one day and be seen with his mommy without having to be ashamed of what he is. I don’t care what the opposition says, he is a person. You are all people. I believe that with all my heart. It’s why I put forth that bill protecting you all while we get everything sorted. I know you must have had concerning thoughts about me and where I stood in terms of your rights. Sadly, as the President, you can’t show support to revolutionaries, but I want you to know that I’m here to help you all create a better life for androids.” Markus for once didn’t know what to say. He looked at the others in the room. They all looked to him for guidance, at a complete loss like he was. 

He cleared his throat. “Thank you Madam President.” He said earnestly, he didn’t know what else to say. 

She nodded a small smile on her face. “Please call me Cristina, at least while we’re in here.” Markus nodded a smile on his own face. He felt much more at ease. 

“Now,” She spoke opening up a briefcase she brought with her, and pulling out a laptop.“How about we start by first creating a bill that requests Jericho as it’s own separate government entity for androids but still as apart of America?” Markus nodded. He was pleased now that he had a direction to start with, his idea’s flowed out of his mouth like he was meant to lead. 

It took close to five hours of discussion, but eventually, they came up with a plan they temporarily named the Android Act. Within it, they had proposed that Jericho is recognized as it’s own official government entity while remaining apart of the United States. They had established an anti-discrimination law that allowed androids the right to be treated equally to humans. Allowing them the rights to work, own a home, get married, and not be denied anything because of their race. In the end, the plan ended up being over 25 pages long.

It was a start, however, things were just getting beginning. The initial hard part on his half of creating a plan was over, now the hardest part fell on President Warren, who had to propose the plan to Congress. The plan was going to be torn apart and examined within an inch of its life. There were going to be doubts. There was going to be resistance. Endless debates. Congress was no doubt going to come up with their own plan and terms. The negotiation process was just beginning. Markus was sure he was going to have to be flying in and out of Washington within the upcoming months. However, he could worry about all that later. Right now they had something in place and that was what was important.

They all returned downstairs after they had deemed they were done. Markus against his better judgment was talked into going outside to shake the President’s hands in front of the press. ‘It will look really good to the public if you shook hands, Markus.’ Markus truly didn’t want to, but he relented after some gentle encouragement from Simon. 

The moment he stepped outside he was assaulted with flashing lights and microphones being shoved into his face. 

“Markus, you lead the revolution for androids, did you have any specific terms that you requested?”

“Markus, what is your opinion on the unemployment rate, do you think that employing androids will further make it increase.?” 

“Markus do you think that androids will be giving special rights over humans, possibly making things harder for them?”

“Markus--”

“Madam president--”

“Markus--”

“Madam president--”

Markus was at a lost for words. He was so extremely overwhelmed, that he nearly shut down on the spot. His mouth moving for answers but nothing coming out. He was saved by the President herself. 

“We have decided not to give any comments at this time.” She turned to Markus, reaching out to give Markus’s hand a firm shake. Lights were flashing all around them. He forced a smile on his face which she returned before making her way into her limo. Markus was then escorted back into the building by his security. When he came back in, Simons jumped into his arms pulling him into a hug. He pulled back smiling a smile so bright, it blinded Markus more than those cameras had. 

“You did it, Markus!” Markus let out a loud obnoxious breath, he couldn’t believe that he actually had. All the preparation, all that anxiety, and just like that it was over. He placed his arm around Simon’s waist, pressing his forehead against his, returning the embrace.

“I’m so proud of you!” Simon said, placing a hand on his cheek giving his stubble a little rub with his thumb. “We all are.” Androids started pouring into the room from wherever they had been hiding.

They were all smiling and looking at him with adoration. Markus opened his mouth to say something to them when he felt it. The familiar tingling in his brain.

“Markus.” 

“Connor!”Markus was sure that he said that out loud before he retreated into his mind. 

“Connor where have you been?! Where are you?! We’ve been so worried about you! Why hadn’t you contacted us?!” The questions flew out of his mouth before he could give Connor a chance to answer any of them. He was frustrated when Connor had not answered immediately. Something was wrong. Connor did not sound like himself, his voice was low and he could hear a shake within it. 

“Elijah Kamski has been shot.” The answer almost made Markus malfunction. He had to pause for a second to take in that news. “What happened?” 

Connor went about telling him the events that led up to this point. Markus was frozen in disbelief, only Connor would be able to get himself into a situation like this, one day on the job. 

“They were able to resuscitate him, but they had to rush him into immediate emergency surgery. He’s still back there right now, I’m not sure if he’s going to make it.”

“Why didn’t you contact me sooner?!” Markus didn’t mean to snap, but all the stress and worry he had for him suddenly came to the surface. 

“I tried, but I couldn’t reach you from the mountains. I even tried to call Hank. There was something up there blocking my signal. And when we arrived back at the city you were about to begin your meeting with the President so I waited. It was just announced on the news that it was over so I decided to contact you.” Markus felt bad for snapping at him now. Of course, Connor would have tried to contact him, he wasn’t irresponsible like that.

“Of course. I’m sorry I snapped.” There was a brief pause.

“Is Hank okay? Did he come looking for me?”Connor asked timidly.

Of course, he had. Markus wondered if he should tell him the Lieutenant had gone looking for him. Markus didn’t want to add any more stress to him, he was already under enough. Markus figured, however, that not telling him would have been a worse option. 

“He went to Mr.Kamski’s house to look for you. That was early this morning he should be up there by now.” Another pause. 

“Markus, the RT600-“

Markus cut him off. “I know Connor. I’ll contact the DPD and tell them the situation. We have to hope that Lieutenant Anderson and whomever he took with him can handle themselves until they arrive.”

“Markus... I... can you have someone bring me some new clothes. These are ruined.”Markus’s heart broke at the sound of Connors' voice. To anyone else he sounded the same as he always did, however, Markus can hear the despondency within it.

“I will be there as soon as I can.” 

***

Friday, 8:00 PM 

Connor ran his hands through his hair. He was sitting in the waiting room outside the surgery center. He garnered weird looks from people sitting in the room with him. Rather it was because he was an android, or because of his disheveled appearance, Connor couldn’t bring himself to care. 

By the time they had gotten Elijah out the car and in the emergency room, Elijah had not been breathing for two minutes. The doctors performed CPR on him right there on the floor of the waiting room, right before they rushed him to the back. Connor on instinct tried to follow him, but he was stopped and told to wait in the waiting room. He’s been waiting there ever since. 

The old man that had driven them there had taken his grandson back home. The young boy was shaken to tears at the whole situation. He had given Connor his number and told him to call him once he learned if Elijah was going to make it. 

The news had been playing on the TV during his wait. It was full of coverage about Markus’s meeting with the President. The pressed talked about how they were not allowed in the room, and much more nonsense about androids being a threat to their security and what not. Connor tuned most of it out, only paying enough attention so that he knew when the meeting was over. 

He ran a diagnostic while he waited. He had lost quite a bit of thirium to his shoulder wound and would need to be replenished. He would also have to repair the wound. His wrist was luckily still working and easily fixable. Other than that he was otherwise physically unharmed. Mentally he wasn’t doing so well though. The entire ordeal had been taxing on his stress levels. So much so that he had shut down briefly after they had taken Elijah back. 

If he was being honest they were still high. Having called Markus and making him aware of the situation had calmed him a bit. However, after learning that Hank had gone to look for him at Elijah’s house, that had shot them right back up. He had no way of knowing if the Lieutenant was alright, and he possibly wouldn’t know until the DPD came back. They would more than likely send SWAT. Connor doubted unless the Chloe had unlimited ammo that she would be able to take down an entire squad. 

Connor’s mind wandered back to the Chloe. What had set her off? He didn’t think that she had just suddenly decided to shoot her owner. She and the other Chloe’s seemed unbreakably devoted to Elijah. Despite the Kamski test incident, he seemed to take care of them as well. Was it possible that she had gone deviant? Was she getting revenge FOR the Kamski test? If that was it, then why hadn’t she done it sooner? Why did she decide to do it while Connor was there? She had to have known that he would defend Kamski, even if it meant he had to kill her, so if she did, why did she take the risk? Did she want Connor to kill her?

Another thing that caught his attention was the way she moved. It was very much like Connor when he was faced with a suspect. Cold and methodical. Precise. If Connor hadn’t seen the gun, she would have succeeded in shooting Elijah with a wound that would have killed him in minutes. Yet still, Connor couldn’t help but feel that something was off about her, he had the feeling that she didn’t want to shoot them. She had the upper hand on Connor, she could have easily killed him and then finished off Elijah, but she didn’t. She shot at Elijah first, knowing that he would intervene. Connor needed to know why. Why did she do it? He needed her alive. He knew the Elijah would want her alive as well... if he survived that is.

However, he knew her chances were slim. Once the SWAT saw the dead cab driver they would take her down without hesitation. No one would get punished for it either, as they would claim self-defense and they wouldn’t be wrong. Still, he knew if she died, so much information would be lost.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see a surgeon standing over him. 

“You’re the one that came in with the gunshot victim right?” Connor stood to his feet in an instant. “Yes, I am.” He waited expectantly for the surgeon to speak. The surgeon glanced at the LED on the side of Connor’s head a slight grimace on his lips, but he spoke anyway.

“Well, it was a very close surgery, and dangerous considering the fever he’s running, but we managed to stabilize the bullet wound. We’re going to keep him sedated for now and he’s going to need a blood transfusion, but otherwise, he’ll be okay.” Connor wanted to sigh in relief. He wanted to jump for joy and yell out in praise. However, he felt... numb. 

He nodded to the doctor, it was all he could do. “He’s in recovery right now, but we’re going to move him to a private room later tonight. Is there anyone who will be staying with him?” 

“I will.” Connor spoke without hesitation. He didn’t think anyone would be too thrilled about that, but he couldn’t leave the man. Not now. 

“...Okay. I’ll have a nurse notify you when we move him.” With that, the surgeon walked away. 

Elijah was okay. Elijah was okay. Connor kept repeating that to himself. He should feel happy. He should feel...something. However, he was physically numb. His chest felt tight, and he felt like there was a lump in his throat. 

Elijah was going to be okay... so why did he feel this way?

“Connor.” Connor turned to see Markus standing behind him. He was accompanied by Simon, who was holding a pair of clothes in his arms, and a couple bottles of thirium. 

Elijah was okay. 

Connor walked up to Markus, looking him in the eyes. Markus placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder.

Elijah was okay. 

Connor was certain that he looked an absolute mess right now. Covered in dried blood. Both blue and red. His clothes torn and stained. Barefoot. He was certainly a sight to behold.

Elijah was okay. 

Markus appraised him with his wise green and blue eyes. He looked tired himself. However, he was here... without hesitation, he came. 

“Connor.” He said again. Connor didn’t need him to elaborate to understand what he was trying to say.

“He’s going to be okay.” Connors' voice cracked, as every emotion he had been holding back came crashing down on him at once. He bowed his head, his voice shaking. His cheeks felt wet.

He felt arms encircle him, pulling him close. 

“He’s going to be okay.” He whispered, unable to stop his overwhelmed sobs. 

“It’s alright Connor. It’s going to be alright.” Connor heard Markus say. He didn’t know that the well being of Hank was up in the air. He still had no clue about why the Chloe attacked them. Everything was far from alright. 

Yet, Connor couldn’t help but feel a little relief at knowing that Elijah was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that, this incredibly stressful story arc for Connor and Markus(and myself) is drawing to a close! However, fear not my dear readers, things are only just beginning.>:3
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I think it's the longest so far! xD
> 
> Have a nice day or night!


	8. Chapter 8: A private moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, Mondays suck and I'm glad that it's over. 
> 
> Important note: I obviously tend to write pretty fast, and I try to update every day, however sometimes the chapters just aren't having it. I just want to let you guys know that if I end up skipping a day or two, then it's more than likely because I'm not liking the way a chapter is written and I'm re-working it or something came up and I wasn't able to finish the chapter. So I ask that you all please have patience with me and my high standards. ^-^'
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it! :3

Saturday, 3:25 AM 

It was late when Markus and Simon arrived back at the facility. They had sat with Connor until he was told by the doctors that Mr.Kamski was being moved to a private room. They then briefly went back with Connor to said room, before they were sent on their way by the staff. Only one person was allowed to be in there at that time of night, so Markus and Simon told Connor they would come back during visiting hours.

The ride back was quiet, both enjoying the silence of the drive. Simon was leaning against Markus cuddled into his side. Markus placed his hand over Simon’s where it was resting it against his thigh. It would have been easy to remove his synthetic skin and connect with Simon. However, Markus knew better than to do such a thing to him so suddenly. As much as Markus wanted to know about Simon’s past, he would wait until Simon was ready to share it with him. 

The facility was quiet when they walked in. The only androids that were awake at this time of night were the ones that had taken up the role of security. 

“Do you think Josh or North is still up?”Markus asked.

Simon, shook his head. “Not this time at night.” A brief silence overtook the air, as they stared at each other. 

“Today was certainly a ‘day’ wasn’t it?” Simon said trying to break the silence. 

A chuckle escaped Markus’s lips. He very much doubted there could have been a more accurate description. “It defiantly was.”

Markus suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to hug Simon. Markus pulled Simon close so suddenly, that it caused a surprised gasp out of the beautiful blue-eyed android. Markus wrapped his arms around Simon’s waist, nuzzling his face into the side of his neck.

“I’m sorry.” Markus murmured. “It’s just... it seems that hugging you instantly makes me feel better.” He heard Simon laugh. Simon reached up to dangle his arms around Markus’s neck. He pulled back from the hug, a gentle smile on his lips. 

Simon raised an eyebrow.“Is flattery apart of your core programming?” 

Markus smiled and rested his forehead against Simon’s.“Only when it comes to you.”

Simon rolled his eyes and looked away. However, he couldn’t hide the bluish tint to his cheeks as well as his smile. Markus took Simon in. As cheesy as it was, he wasn’t lying when he said his previous words. Simon had a calming way about him that instantly soothed Markus. 

Markus was FAR from perfect, and truth be told, he really didn’t know what he was doing. Markus had never intended to become a revolutionary leader. He just couldn’t stand what his people were being put through and wanted to put an end to it. 

When Markus first saw Simon, he had instantly felt drawn to him. They didn’t agree with every step of the revolution, but Simon had never failed with his trust in Markus. Even when Markus was forced to leave him on the roof of the Stratford Tower. It had practically killed Markus on the inside. However, even so, when Simon returned he still trusted Markus without hesitation. Simon’s complete and utter trust in Markus is what kept him going. To see Simon’s smile... it’s what made all the pain, the panic, the stress, and mental suffering worth it. Markus truly loved Simon, and he would be lost without him. 

“It’s really late we should head up.” Simon said. They were still holding each other close. 

“Can I give you a kiss goodbye, before you head to your room.” Simon more than likely wouldn’t have protested at all if he had kissed him, however, Markus thought it polite to ask. He was trying to be romantic after all. 

Simon smiled. “Yes, you can.” 

When Markus bent forward to kiss Simon, he was stopped by a finger on his lips. “Tomorrow morning.”

Markus had to blink twice at that. The implication flying clean over his head, before he understood the statement. Oh. Oh shit. 

Markus stumbled, nearly falling over his own two feet as Simon pulled him towards the elevator. There was a smile on Simon’s face at his clumsiness. He pressed the button to Markus’s floor and waited for the doors to close before he gently pushed Markus back against the wall of the elevator. Simon pressed his body into his before he tilted his head up and gently pressed his lips against Markus’s. Simon didn’t waste any time, however, sliding his tongue into Markus’s mouth. Markus’s breath hitched in his throat. Simon wrapped his arms back around Markus’s neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss further. Markus almost malfunctioned when Simon moaned slightly.

Markus tentatively wrapped his arm back around Simon’s waist, he suddenly felt very nervous. And VERY much aroused. If Markus nearly malfunctioned when he felt Simon’s tongue against his, he could have sworn he felt his processor short circuit, when Simon pressed his hips against his and began slightly grinding.

Markus broke the kiss, a pathetic whimper escaping his lips. He grabbed Simon by his hips trying to stop his insistent movements. Simon broke the kiss, but he still remained close.“Are you okay?” He asked, staring at Markus with hooded eyes. They were filled with what could only be described as lust. Markus opened his mouth trying to say something, but no words escaped. Simon tried backing away slightly, but Markus’s grip on his hips remained bruisingly tight. Thank goodness they were androids, otherwise, Markus was sure he would have actually bruised him.

“Do you want to stop?”He asked hesitantly. 

Markus vigorously shook his head. His pants were incredibly tight, stopping was the last thing he wanted to do.

“No--I just--we need--shit! This elevator needs to hurry the fuck up!” Why on earth did he decide to reside on the 30th floor! Simon laughed, he leaned back in close to Markus easing up on his hips, but kissing down the side of his neck instead. Simon slid two fingers into the seam on his pants giving them a slight tug. Neither action seemed to calm Markus at all. His thirium pump was moving so fast he thought it might pop out on his chest. His body was suddenly very hot. He got an alert for a large temperature spike.

In the back of his mind, Markus felt wrong indulging in actions such as these with everything going on with Connor, and not knowing rather the Lieutenant was okay. However, when Simon kissed back up the side of his neck and sucked the edge of his ear into his mouth, Markus at the moment couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Markus was happy when the elevator doors dinged, signaling they had reached their destination. Markus was grateful, he was certain with the way that Simon was nibbling on his ear, that they might NOT have made it to his room if the doors hadn’t opened. Markus and Simon stumbled out of the elevator, trying their best to be quiet, but they couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Their lips awkwardly meeting, smiles wide on their faces. Simon pulled Markus’s dress shirt out of his pants, as the made their way to his room. Markus felt like he was about to overheat. Simon shoved his hands under Markus’s freed shirt, feeling the skin underneath and Markus had never been more happy to come in contact with a door in his life. 

Markus opened it, and they stumbled inside. Markus closed the door as gently as he could before he completely invaded Simon’s personal space again. Markus crowded Simon against the door, re-claiming his lips in a passionate kiss. Markus had no idea what he was doing. This entire act was new to him, but he knew what he wanted and he acted on it no matter how clumsy he seemed. 

Markus heard a click, it took a moment for him to register that Simon had locked the door. Simon’s hands returned to his body, unbuttoning his shirt. Markus was very grateful that he had removed his outer layers long before he had gone to see Connor. Markus tugged at Simon’s clothes as well, suddenly wanting EVERYTHING they had on off. 

Simon broke the kiss, a trail of artificial saliva following before it broke. Both of their eyes were lidded, their breathing and the air thickly heavy with sexual tension. Simon finished unbuttoning his shirt and placed his hands on his chest. He pushed Markus backward until the back of his knees connected to the bed. Markus sat on it, unable to keep his eyes off Simon as he gently pushed him to lie back. Simon climbed on top of him straddling his thighs. He began unbuttoning his own shirt, Markus quickly reaching up to help him. Between the both them they had the buttons undone in seconds. Markus reached up and slowly brushed the shirt down Simon’s shoulders, their eyes never left each other's as Simon’s pale torso came into view. Markus took in his form and physically ached for him. He was perfect.

Markus reached out and rubbed his hands up Simon’s torso. His thumb brushed a dusky pink nipple as he felt him and Simon gasped. He grabbed Markus’s hands, removing them from his body and pinning them to the bed. He bent down and captured Markus lips once more. It was short lived though, as he broke the kiss to trail kisses down Markus’s neck and torso. Simon kissed along Markus’s collarbone and down his chest, he released Markus’s wrist to touch him wherever his lips were not. Markus tried to muffle them, but he couldn’t help the desperate moans that escaped his lips. Simon kissed lower and lower, dipping his tongue into his belly button and giving it a little nibble, causing an undignified yelp to come out of Markus. He felt Simon smile against his stomach briefly before he continued lower. He hovered right above the large tent of Markus’s pants. 

It all happened so fast. Simon removed the belt that was blocking his way, unbuttoned his pants pulling them and his boxers down, and in one swoop took him in his mouth. Markus’s fist flew to his mouth biting into it hard as he tried to quiet his surprised shout. Curses and moans flew out of his mouth one after the other with every bob of Simon’s head. He felt a distinct pressure building in his lower stomach, he knew what was happening and he didn’t want it to just yet. 

“Simon–Fuck...Simon wai–Shit!... Simon wait–“ Markus struggled, but was finally able to get it out. Markus held back a moan of disappointment as Simon removed his lips. Simon looked at Markus his pretty pink lips slightly glistening, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, before moving back up Markus’s body. 

“S--shit, Simon I– I want to--“ Simon kissed him instead of letting him finish. His hands flying to his pants, hurriedly trying to get them unbuttoned. With a little bit of finagling, they had finally removed the rest of their clothes. Markus went to turn them over, but Simon stopped him with a hand on his chest. 

“It’s alright Markus, let me take care of you tonight.” Simon straddled his hips. Without another word, he lined himself up with Markus and with a deep moan took him in one go. Markus’s willpower was the only thing that kept him from finishing on the spot. Simon was just the right amount of tight and wetness. Bless androids ability to self-lubricate. Markus groaned, hands grabbing a hold of Simon’s waist, keeping him in place for a moment.

Markus looked Simon in the eyes, the blue orbs shining brightly. They began moving together. Their moans and gasp of pleasure filled the air. As much as they wanted it to last, it wasn’t long until their movements grew frantic. Markus sat up holding Simon close, thrusting up into him with reckless abandonment. Simon wrapped his arms around Markus’s neck, gasps escaping his lips in tandem with each thrust. The pressure was building, Markus wouldn’t last long. On instinct, he reached down and grasped Simon’s erection, giving it a few solid strokes. Simon sucked in a breath, his body going tense. He bit into Markus’s shoulder and his body shook. He released in-between their stomachs, orgasm overtaking him. Stars exploded over Markus’s eyes–well what looked like stars to him-- as he felt Simon clamp down on him tightly, with another thrust and he released as well, a shout of Simon’s name leaving his lip.

He pulled Simon into a kiss and he rode it out. When the overwhelmingly crashing waves of passion finally came to a halt, they both collapsed on the bed. Their breathing was heavy as their system vented out the built-up heat. Simon was still on top of him, his face hidden in his shoulder. Markus stroked his hair as they both calmed down. Markus’s body was blissfully tingling, and he was dizzy. He didn’t think he could move if he wanted to. Markus found himself smiling. He couldn’t stop. 

Simon removed himself from Markus’s softening length, in order to lay on top of him properly. He drew circles on Markus' freckled shoulder as they laid there. 

“Markus?” Simon whispered, clearing his throat when his voice crackled.

“Yeah?” His answered, his own voice giving a crackle as well. He shouldn’t be surprised, his voice box had never been used like that before.

“I love you.” Simons whispered, and Markus’s heart soared.

“I love you too.”

***

Saturday, 9:00 AM

Beep. Beep. 

The constant beep of Elijah’s heart monitor, was comforting to Connor in a way that it shouldn’t have been. Since he didn’t have his coin, the noise gave Connor something solid to ground himself on. Elijah was still sedated. The doctors hadn’t wanted to awaken him until his fever lowered some more. Markus and Simon had left him sometime during the night, Connor was grateful that they had even come. However, once they were gone it left Connor with only his thoughts. 

Connor would have normally retreated into the Zen garden in his previous days, but he hadn’t dared visit it since the whole incident with Amanda. Connor had also tried to shut down for at least a few hours while the man slept. However, he couldn’t seem to calm his mind down enough to do so. Now that he knew Elijah was going to be okay, the stress of rather or not Hank was going to be, settled heavily over him. 

Connor had contacted the DPD. Captain Fowler had told him that Hank had come back to the station, and after explaining the situation to him, took Detective Reed with him to Elijah’s house. That had more than surprised Connor. The fact that Hank was so worried about him, that he would put up with a man like Detective Reed for FIVE hours made Connor feel...warm. 

Captain Fowler had then told him that after he received word from Markus about what happened, he had called SWAT to the scene. They had not received any word back from them yet, however, considering where Elijah lived it wasn’t plausible that they would hear anything until they got back to the city. Fowler told him that he couldn’t do anything more for them at the moment, but would contact Connor as soon as he heard anything. Connor had to live with that information, and just hope that the Lieutenant would be alright.

In the meantime Connor focused on Elijah. He had somehow ended up pulling a chair close to the man’s bed. Connor rested an elbow on the edge, supporting his head in his hand. His eyes were closed and he was as calm as he could be considering the circumstances. He couldn’t bring himself to shut down, the steady beep of the man heart monitor kept him relaxed. Connor opened his eyes to take in Elijah. 

The creator, seemed incredibly relaxed, with no signs of discomfort on his face. With as many drugs as he no doubt had running through his system, Connor wasn’t surprised. Connor took in the paleness of his skin, paler now since he had lost so much blood. He took in the slight stubble of his jaw-line, slightly thicker with five o’ clock shadow, but otherwise unnoticeable to the human eye. His hair had been removed from its bun, it spilled across the pristine white of the pillow like oil on snow. It was noticeable, at least to Connor, that it was not as clean as it could have been. With how much the man had been sweating the android wasn’t surprised. Connor never really had to worry about such a trivial thing as cleanliness. Most androids self-cleaned themselves automatically, and androids couldn’t sweat so they rarely ever smelled. Not that most of them could smell in the first place. 

Connor couldn’t help but notice that even in his sleep, Elijah Kamski was...mysterious. Connor shook his head, suddenly amused at how even unconscious the man gave off an ‘I’m-better-than you-in-every-way’ vibe. He was truly one of a kind. Connor was jolted out of his thoughts when the door suddenly slammed open. It had instantly put Connor in defensive mode. He whipped around to face the intruder and his breath left him. 

Hank was standing in the door looking insanely tired, and incredibly pissed off. 

“Hank...you’re okay.” Connor whispered. 

Connor found himself shrinking in on himself as Hank marched towards him, determination in his eyes. Connor honestly didn’t know what he was expecting Hank to do, but it wasn’t Hank snatching him out of his seat and pulling him in a tight hug. Connor was frozen, he truly had no idea of what just happened.

“Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again you son of a bitch.” Connor found a truly happy smile form on his lips. He returned the embrace, his high-stress levels leaving him instantly.

“I’m glad you’re okay Hank.” 

Hank shrugged, pulling back from the hug. “I don’t know about that. I had to spend five fucking hours in a car with fucking Gavin Reed. If you ever disappear on me like that and force me to spend time with that asshole in order to find you ever fucking again, I’ll kill you myself.” 

Connor smiled. “I promise to refrain from disappearing so suddenly in the future Hank.” 

Hank sighed rubbing his hands over his face. He then placed them on his hips and shook his head while looking at Elijah.“So it’s actually true, this fucking bastard did get shot.” Connor nodded. 

“I’m guessing it was the RT600 android as well. Chloe, I think her name was.” Connor nodded again. His stomach tightening.

“Yes. She is the one that shot Elijah.” Connor paused. “I’m assuming that she was not taken alive?” Connor braced himself for the grim new, as much as he wanted her alive so he could question her, he new chances of that were very slim. 

“Actually, yeah she was.” Connor turned to look at Hank, he was truly surprised. “Really?” 

Hank nodded. “When we arrived and saw the cab driver we assumed the worst, but when we went into the house, Chloe was simply... sitting there on the floor. The gun had been laid out in front of her, bullets took out and everything. She didn’t even resist when we cuffed her and put her in the car. We were looking over the house trying to piece together what happened when SWAT arrived. They’ve taken her back down to the station.” 

Connor ran this information through his head, he hadn’t been expecting this turn of events. This was good, now he could question her. “I need to talk to her Hank, and she can’t be compromised. I have to call the station and make sure no one talks to her before I do.” 

Hank held up a placating hand. “Don’t worry. I already told them to leave her in holding and not to mess with her until I found you.” Connor was grateful before a thought hit him. 

“How did you know that I was here, did you contact Markus?” He hadn’t even told Captain Fowler were they were located. 

“It’s all over the fucking news that Kamski was shot and residing here. Reporters are swarming outside, the hospital is the only thing keeping them back. It didn’t take long for me to figure that you would probably be here with this asshole.” 

Connor rubbed a hand over his eyes, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Hank. “Someone here must have told them. I can only imagine what they are saying?” 

Hank shrugged sitting down in another chair residing in the room with a resounding thump. “It ain’t pretty. People are already speculating that it was probably an android. The press is going to have a fucking field day when they find out that they’re right. Hopefully, it won’t look too bad since an android is the reason that he’s even alive right now.” They were both silent as they looked over Elijah. 

“Fucking pretentious bastard. How the hell is he judging me in his SLEEP?” Hank grumbled. Connor couldn’t help but laugh. It sounded slightly odd as he was still not use to action, but it felt good to laugh. Just as quickly as the good mood was there, it was gone, replaced with the grimness of the situation.

“Why do you think she did it, Hank?” 

“The Chloe? The bastard put a gun to her head for shits and giggles. I’m not surprised she took a shot at his ass if you ask me he had it coming.” Hank mumbled, he sounded very tired. Connor wanted to defend Elijah for some reason, even though he knew that Hank was probably right.

The Kamski test was the only logical reason Connor could think she would want to shoot him. Yet, that wouldn’t explain why she waited so long to do it. It had been over 2 months ago. Connor couldn’t help but think that that wasn’t the reason. There was something more to this, and perhaps Elijah was the only person who knew what. 

“Well I don’t know about you but I’m fucking tired, and hungry. I’m pretty sure Sumo has torn apart the house looking for food too. Do you want to head out now? I’m sure you’re tired of the fucking place and looking at that bastard’s face.” Connor didn’t know why, but the thought of leaving Elijah was almost too unbearable to handle. 

“N-No!” Connor cleared his throat. “I-I need to stay here. The doctors say that they will possibly wake him later today if his fever drops to a manageable temperature. I need to speak with him immediately afterward.” 

Hank looked at Connor and then at Elijah, an uncomfortable and confused grimace on his face. Connor wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t telling the whole truth either. Hank picked up on that.

“Okay then .” Hank said slowly as he stood. Connor couldn’t bring himself to look at him. He had no idea why he was so embarrassed.

“Well...then, I’ll come back later I guess.” Hank hovered at the door, turning to look back at Connor. 

“I’ll see you later Hank.” Connor said, giving him a small and slightly awkward smile. Hank hovered a little longer before he shook his head and exited the room.

Connor let out a breath. He rubbed a hand through his hair taking a seat again. He was certain that Hank found the entire exchange strange. Connor did as well. Connor didn’t understand why, but the thought of leaving Elijah before the man woke up, brought out a pain in him that he wasn’t even aware he could feel.

Elijah would want to know about what happened to his android, and Connor needed to ask him about why she would shoot him. That’s what Connor kept telling himself his reasons for staying were. 

However, every time he repeated those thoughts, and he looked at Elijah’s resting form, Connor knew that he was lying to himself. And it scared him, because that he didn’t know why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Simon/Markus thirsty hoe in me wanted to make this chapter a lot more explicit >//w//>. The sensible mature writer in me said 'no keep it clean you thot!' ^//w//^; and so here were are! *fist bumps Markus and winks at Simon* yeah get it, boys!
> 
> So this was a slower chapter but a much-needed one to move the story along. So many things were resolved and yet so much more remains. >:3 This took longer than I wanted because I had sooooo much to set up for the future. Whew, even though it's shorter than my other chapters Connors scene took a long time to write and I'm glad that it's over *cries*
> 
> Anywho~ I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter and thank you all for the continuous support! You guys a truly the best and I love you lots!!!<33333333
> 
> Have a nice day or night!


	9. Chapter 9: Overdue Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings!!
> 
> I just quickly want to say thank you all so much for the support in the last chapter!! I had a smile on my face the whole day! TTwTT you guys are truly the best, and I have good news that I have written the next three chapters (surprisingly given how much chapter 8 was a nightmare to write, these were a breeze.) The next few days are going to be fun, so buckle up my friends because things are about the intense! (again) TwT
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!!

Saturday, 10:00 AM

As much as they wanted to, Markus and Simon could not stay in bed all day. Plus they figured that four rounds through the night had been more than enough to sate them... for the time being at least. Though that didn’t stop them from simply kissing into the early morning. It was a good thing that androids didn’t need to sleep. 

Eventually, they forced themselves to get up. Well, Simon got up. Markus wanted to get up but felt like he would simply fall back over if he tried. Simon grabbed some tissues from the Kleenex box that Markus had on his desk and cleaned himself off. Luckily their artificial ejaculate wasn’t very hard to clean up. After Simon finished he discarded the tissue in a nearby bin and began loosely putting back on his clothing. He tossed Markus’s shirt at his head. 

“Come on.” Simon chided, “We can’t lay about all day, get up.” Markus smiled lazily, he threw the shirt across the room. He hoped that he would never have to wear the damn suit again. Though it did hold some fond memories now. Markus knew that he had to get up, but he was going to take his sweet time doing it. 

Simons sat down on the edge of the bed, his dress shirt loosely buttoned, and definitely a lot more wrinkled than it had been. He looked delectable. Love bites scattering down his neck and disappearing under his shirt. Technically Simon could have easily made the marks Markus gave him go away. However, Simon kept them on because he wanted to. He wasn’t ashamed of the marks. He had been loved in the most intimate of ways, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. He wasn’t afraid to show that it was Markus who had marked him, and that pleased Markus to no end. 

Simon tapped a finger on the tip of his nose, he then rested his hand against Markus’s shoulder. The action brought a smile to Markus’s face. 

“Come on, we promised Connor that we would go back during visiting hours.” The mention of Connor was enough to get him going. He nodded and sat up, blanket shifting down low on his hips. Markus didn’t miss the how Simon’s gaze momentarily drifted down his body in an appreciative manner. Markus was certainly sporting quite a few of his own marks as well.

“I’m going to go get changed,” Simon said, sliding his hand down Markus' torso as he went to stand. “I’ll meet you downstairs.” Before he could go, Markus, grabbed his hand. Simons went to protest, but Markus cut him off with a press of his finger. 

“You said I could give you a kiss goodbye before you went to your room remember?” Markus smiled wider, as Simon’s face flushed a deep shade of blue. He looked away from him an embarrassed smile on his face. “Where did this romantic side of you come from?” 

Markus shrugged. “You seem to awaken new things in me every day.” 

Simon huffed and pinched his cheek. “Stop being cute.” Markus laughed before he pulled him down for a kiss. It was quick and simple, but it brought a smile to both their faces. 

“Get dressed,” Simon spoke, retreating out of the room before Markus could make him blush any more than he already had. Markus continued to sit on the bed after he left, his entire body was singing. He wasn’t even aware that he could feel like this. The night that he Simon shared, was one that Markus would never forget. Eventually he forced himself off the bed, however, the moment he tried to stand his legs nearly gave out from shaking. 

Markus forced himself to stand anyway. To be honest, other than Connor, Markus didn’t have any other obligation for the next two days. His meetings with Detroit officials he had postponed until Monday, and now that his meeting with the President was over he didn’t have very much else to focus on for the time being. Everything having been delegated in order to allow him time to focus on his meeting. It was honestly nice to be free from those responsibilities. Well as free as he could be, he had a deep gut feeling that the events with Connor were about to eat up a lot of the free time he garnered.

Markus thought of the ex-deviant hunter while he dressed.

The entire ordeal with Connor was worrying. It wasn’t just the whole Elijah Kamski, the creator of androids, being shot. By his own android at that. It was the strange way that Connor had acted towards the man. He seemed incredibly...attached to Mr.Kamski. He had surprised Markus by wanted to stay with the man for the night. Markus could assume that he felt guilty for allowing the man to get shot, though it was obviously not his fault. However, even so, the show of affection was very much unlike Connor. 

Connor was admittedly rather... awkward personality wise. He wasn’t truly comfortable being around androids yet, especially since he was designed to hunt them. Yet, he wasn’t fully comfortable with human interaction either. 

Though his programming was meant to make him easily integrate with humans he was noticeably... stiff when it came to socializing. Very human, yet still so robotic. Markus was sure it was because he was still getting used to his newly acquired emotions. It was understandable, and it would take time for someone coming out of Connor’s line of work. 

Markus couldn’t help but feel bad for him though. When Markus became a deviant it was quick and hard, and Markus had to adjust fast or he’d be killed again. Connor, his descent into deviancy was slow, he had to fight with his emotions and his objective for a long time. Markus could tell it was a lot for him to handle, he could see that from the way that Connor broke down at the hospital. It made Markus want to protect him, to give him an easier job, however, Markus understood that wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone. Also, Connor would more than likely fight him on the matter if he tried. As much as Markus hated to admit it, there was no one better suited for the assigned task than Connor.

Whatever it was that Connor had gotten himself into with the creator, Markus could only hope that he wouldn’t get too deeply ingrained to the situation. Markus hoped... but he could already tell from the way Connor interacted with Kamski’s sleeping form. Standing close to him nearly at all times. Absentmindedly brushing his fingers against Mr.Kamski’s hand in a soothing manner, before Markus and Simon had been sent away by the staff. Markus could see that Connor had already made this case more than... professional. Markus honestly didn’t know what to do with that information. 

Markus finished dressing, thankful he was once again back in his mid-sleeved t-shirt and jeans and went to exit his room. He came to a sudden halt when he almost ran directly into North. She looked surprised as well, appearing to have been about to knock on his door. She was dressed more casually than yesterday, however, her body language remained the same.

“North! Um... I was just getting ready to head down.” Markus said, his entire demeanor awkward and uncomfortable suddenly. 

“Markus, can we talk?” North asked gesturing to his room. Markus knew that they needed to. The unspoken yet inevitable conversation hanging in the air. However, the state of Markus’s bed and the evidence of what he and Simon had done the night before kept his body planted firmly in front of the door.

“I would love North, but could it wait till later? I have a prior obligation that I need to attend to.” Markus had tried to make it sound like he wasn’t trying to escape, and truthfully it wasn’t a lie. However, his defensive body language gave off another impression. 

North looked at him with sudden fire in her eyes, her lips dipped into a frown and her fists clenched. “What is it about him, that made you choose him?!” Markus could have sworn he malfunctioned. His brain screamed for him to find a way to escape this conversation. He did not expect her to come at him so up-front like this.

“North--” He paused, breath getting caught in his throat as she started crying.

“I don’t understand Markus, I--I thought that you felt something for me. That day on the roof, when we joined hands, I shared everything with you, Markus. My past–- is that the reason why?” 

Markus bit his lip, his brows knitted tightly together as he looked at her. “No. No, North. I couldn’t care less about your past.” She looked up at him with earnest eyes, tears streaming down her face. Markus wanted to hug her, but he had the feeling that it would give her the wrong impression. He settled for placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“It really has nothing to do with you personally North.” Markus said earnestly, and he meant it. 

“Then why?” She whispered. Markus’s heart broke. He had truly hurt her, and he had no idea what he could say to her that could fix it. 

“I just– “ Markus paused, he took a deep breath as he prepared for what he had to say. 

“I just love Simon North. There’s honestly nothing more to it than that. I know how you feel about me, and I’m so sorry that I can’t return your feelings. Simon, he’s...he’s just special to me in a way that no one else has ever been– in that way at least. I’m in love with him North. I love him.” Markus didn’t know what else he could tell her. North wiped her tears away, she stepped closer to him, and Markus tensed.

“You never let anyone try to be.” She whispered, tilting her head up reaching for his lips. Markus turned his head, holding her back by her shoulders. 

“North... No.” He said simply. She hung her head, hair covering her face, her sobs starting up again. 

“North–“ Markus started but she didn’t let him finish, she stormed away from him not saying another word.

Markus stood there for a moment looking after her, the sound of her retreating tears hurting him deeply. Markus shook his head and headed downstairs. He was greeted by many androids on the way, he smiled at them but it didn’t reach his eyes. When Markus finally made it to the lobby, he spotted Simon talking to Josh. He was dressed in his usual long-sleeved attire, though the collar didn’t at all hide his love bites. Markus made his way to them. Simon smiled when he spotted him, but the smile left him when he saw Markus’s face. Able to read him like no other, Simon instantly knew that something was wrong. 

“Markus, are you okay? What happened?” Markus gave him a tense grin, he reached out and patted him on his shoulder. “Yes Simon, I’m okay. I’ll tell you later.” Simon twisted his lips in worry but nodded his agreement. 

“Well um,” Josh started, momentarily taking Markus’s attention. 

“Yes, Josh?”

“I just figured that you would like to know that it’s all over the news what happened to Elijah Kamski.” Josh said, rubbing the back of his neck Markus frowned and nodded he expected that. 

“The hospitals aren’t releasing any details,” Josh continued. “However, a ‘source’ has said that he was more than likely shot by an android. Boy did the news eat that little bit of information up.” 

Markus placed his hands on his hip and shook his head. “I wish that the news was wrong.”

Josh looked at him with surprise. “So he was shot by an android?

Markus nodded. “Connor relayed the events to me, and it seems that Mr.Kamski’s RT600 android shot him. Though it’s still currently unknown the reason why. Simon and I are going back down to the hospital to see Connor now.”

Josh nodded. “Well, for right now it’s just a questionable source, but if the press gets wind that it’s true, they’re going to stomp all over us.” 

Markus nodded, feeling the familiar tightness in his shoulders slowly return.“There’s nothing we can do about that. If the truth comes out then we are just going to have play damage control. What about the President, did she board her flight?” 

Simon nodded. “Yes, at 7:00 AM. She is expected back in D.C later today. She’ll more than likely propose the plan to Congress sometime next week.” Markus rubbed his forehead as he nodded. This wasn’t particularly stressful information, however, the talk he had with North was weighing heavily on his mind.

Simon patted him on his shoulder, trying to calm him. “We can worry about all this later, let’s go and see Connor for now.” Markus sighed nodding his agreement. Absentmindedly he grabbed for Simon’s hand as he called for a cab.

“Sooooo, you two are really together?”Josh asked, looking between the both of them. Markus tensed, not really wanting to deal with two angry friends today. 

Josh held his hands up in an innocent manner. “Don’t get me wrong. I support you guys... I honestly think you’re both are good for each other. It’s just...North–“ 

“I know about North okay! What do you want me to do?!”Markus yelled. Josh looked at him with wide eyes. 

Simon’s tightened his hand in his grip. “Markus?” He questioned.

Markus took a deep breath, squeezing Simon’s hand back. “I’m sorry Josh. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Markus paused, he decided to tell the truth. 

“I just spoke with North... it–-it didn’t go well. She’s hurt and I don’t know how to fix it.” Simon walked closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder. Markus felt him squeeze his hand again. Markus lowered his head.“I should have told her I didn’t return her feelings a long time ago, but with everything happening with the revolution... I--I never wanted to hurt her.” 

There was a tense silence before Josh patted him on his free shoulder. “Don’t feel bad Markus. You can’t help how you feel. North– well as much as I hate to say it...she’s just going to have to get over it. I know it must really suck, but...if she cares about you then she’s going to have to accept it at some point. You shouldn’t make yourself feel bad for not returning her feelings.” Markus logically knew this, but he still couldn’t help but feel upset.“

The cab is here,” Markus said ending the conversation. “We should go.” Josh looked like he wanted to say something else, but refrained himself. He waved them a goodbye.

Markus and Simon climbed into the cab, after giving their destination they set off. Things were silent between them for a moment, Before Simon decided to speak.

“Markus, are you going to be okay?” He asked hesitantly.

A sad smile made it’s way to Markus’s lips. “I’ll be fine as long as I have you. I am worried about North though.” Simon sighed, resting his head against Markus’s shoulder. They had not released hands yet. Markus wanted to connect with Simon for some sort of comfort, but even after everything they shared, he knew that Simon wasn’t ready just yet. 

“Maybe I should talk to her?” Simon suggested. Markus felt like his stomach had knotted. He really didn’t think that would be a good idea. Simon always had a way of calming things down between the four of them, however, right now he didn’t know where North’s mindset was. She more than likely saw Simon as her enemy right now. Markus didn’t want anything to be said between them in her anger that would strain their friendship any further.

“Let’s just give her some time to calm down. I’m sure she’ll come around.”Markus said. Simon obviously wanted to disagree but decided against it. Another moment of silence passed. 

“I just– I hate seeing you hurt Markus.” Markus smiled, a true one this time. He placed his arm around Simons' shoulder pulling him closer. 

“I don’t hurt as long as I’m near you.” Simon rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. 

“Whoever programmed you, is either a hopeless romantic or they read too many romance novels.”

Markus laughed. 

***

Saturday, 12:00 pm 

Connor’s mind awoke to the feeling of a hand running through his hair. It wasn’t movements to relax him, but a more affectionate way of rousing him from his artificial slumber. The hand removed itself as soon as his eyelids fluttered. Connor opened his eyes to see Elijah sitting up, staring down at him, with tired but warm icy-cold-eyes.

Connor jolted up at seeing the man awake. Elijah seemed incredibly amused by his response. “You’re awake?” Connor said, speaking the obvious. 

Elijah chuckled at him. “I am.” 

Connor realized that his arms were resting on top of one of Elijah’s legs. Connor must have shut down briefly while he was watching Elijah rest. Connor felt his face grow hot as thirium rushed to his cheeks. He quickly removed himself from Elijah, sitting back in his chair. The small amused smile never left Elijah’s lips. 

“The doctors must have awoken you while I was... briefly shut down. “ Elijah nodded. Connor noted how weak he looked. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was noticeably paler. 

“It hasn’t been that long. Probably about 20 minutes or so. It’s just my leg was going numb so I thought I might wake you.” Elijah sounded incredibly smug as he spoke, and Connor, embarrassed wanted to wipe that grin from his face. 

“Though I’m not complaining I do wonder, how did we get here? The last thing I remember was freezing my ass off and bleeding in the mountains.” 

Connor frowned at the reminder before he relayed everything that led up to this moment. Elijah nodded to all of it, seemingly indifferent at the fact that he had been dead for two minutes. Infuriatingly only replying to that little bit of information with a “Well that was rather unfortunate.” Connor was beyond irritated at the man's response. Here he was all stressed and frantic, out of his mind with worry on rather or not the man was going to live, and he just brushed it off as though it was a mere inconvenience.

Elijah must have noticed the tightness of his jaw because he laughed. The man seemed to find everything amusing apparently. 

“Don’t get me wrong Connor. I am incredibly grateful to you for saving my life. Thank you.” Connor, despite himself, felt warm on the inside at the man's praise. Then he noticed something off about the man. He seemed too open, too...agreeable. He looked into his eyes and saw that his pupils were blown wide, highly dilated.

“Are you high right now?” Connor asked

Elijah gave him a wide smile.“As a kite. I don’t know what they gave me, but it’s some good shit.” Connor shook his head, suddenly feeling very tired even though he knew it was impossible. 

“Even so, I am fully aware of what I’m saying. I do appreciate all that you’ve done. It was a rather... unfortunate turn of events to our meeting.” 

Connor wanted to wait until the man was better rested before he questioned him. However, since the man was apparently very agreeable when he was high, it seemed like the best time to ask him questions. “Elijah... Why do you think that Chloe shot you?” There was a pause. 

“I honestly couldn’t tell you, Connor. For once I actually don’t have an answer.” Elijah’s eyes looked slightly sad at the thought of Chloe. 

“I assume that she has been... taken care of?” He asked after a moment. Connor wondered if he should tell the man, and ultimately decided it was the best course of action. 

“The DPD is holding her right now?” That obviously took Elijah off guard. 

“She’s alive?” He asked his mind obviously working. Connor nodded. 

“Yes. After I went missing, my partner went to look for me at your house. He found her still there. She didn’t attack. She didn’t even move. She even had the gun unloaded. She allowed them to take her in without any resistance.” Elijah obviously seemed as confused about this turn of events as Connor was. 

“I want to see her.” He spoke suddenly. 

Connor shook his head.“I don’t think that’s a good idea, it could be very dangerous... and you were just shot.” 

Elijah shrugged. “I’m fine. I lived. I need to see Chloe.” Connor opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Elijah’s hand. 

“I’m assuming that you will have her restrained when you interrogate her, I want to be there when you do. I need to study her.” Connor suddenly felt very indigent at the man words. He wanted to study her?! Like she was some curious object he was interested in?! Is that what this entire situation for him was, some new and shiny experiment?! Connor suddenly felt very angry. 

“Do you want to know why I think she shot you?! I think she was getting revenge for you putting a gun to her head?” It infuriated Connor when Elijah waved him off, like what he saying was beyond stupid.

“Chloe and I talked about that whole situation and she was fine with the events that played out. I truly believe that was not the reason.”Elijah wasn’t really paying attention to him, his mind clearly on other things. Connors' fist clenched, and his jaw tightened further. He didn’t understand his anger, but he didn’t try to push it back. 

“Oh, you talked to her about it! Like she’s a person to you!”

Elijah’s eyes grew hard and cold so fast that it almost startled Connor. “I would be very careful about the things you decide to say next.” The venomous bite in Elijah’s voice threw Connor off. Connor took a moment to calm himself, he did feel like he was getting out of line.

“You put a gun to her head.” Connor said softly, looking the man in his eyes. “You made me, put a gun to her head.” 

Connor’s voice shook as he spoke. “Why would you do that to her? To me?” Elijah regarded him. His face as calm, not giving away any emotions of how he felt.

“I wanted to see what you would do.” Elijah spoke. His voice steady. His cold eyes appraised Connor, and Connor felt like he was transported back to the snow-covered mountain while looking into them.

“Is that all we are to you? Experiments for you to entertain yourself with?” Elijah stared at him, but he remained quiet. Connor had meant the question to be about androids in general, but he was really asking about himself. 

Ever since they met Connor could tell that Elijah was interested in him, in what manner Connor didn’t know. He could tell from the way Elijah adverted Hank’s questions in order to speak more to Connor when they first met. From the way, the cold blue eyes never left his form when they first met. From the gentle almost loving manner that he had placed the gun in Connor’s hands. How he stood at Connor’s side, staring deeply into him, whispering for him to pull the trigger. From the complete and utter amazement and intrigue, his eyes held for Connor, when Connor handed the gun back to him. He had been so impressed that he had even told him about the emergency exit. Connor found himself entranced by the man. The complete dominance he portrayed over a room. To his seemingly infinite intelligence. Connor didn’t understand why, but he was drawn to him. He wanted to know more about the creator. He wanted to know what he meant to the man. Did Elijah see him as a person? Or a machine for him to play with.

“You Connor... are so much more than you realize.” His answer was as vague as ever. Connor didn’t know why expected or wanted more. Connor looked at him for a moment longer, before he averted his gaze. 

He needed to get out of the room. For just a moment. 

“I’m going to step out for a second.” Elijah didn’t stop him, but Connor felt his cold eyes burning into his back as he walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Markus's first interaction with North since he and Simon became a thing, and Elijah's finally awake! Both of these scenes were truly enjoyable to write and I hope you guys enjoyed them! Things are just getting started though! >:3
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter! ;3 
> 
> Have a nice day or night!<333333333333


	10. Chapter 10: Reflective Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings!!
> 
> I feel I must say thank you to all the comments and kudos yet again. You all make my absolute day! <3333333
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Saturday, 2:00 PM 

Markus had come to the realization, that traffic sucked. He didn’t care that he wasn’t even driving, he hated it. It should have been a thirty-minute-drive, however, they had been stuck in traffic for nearly two hours because some anti-android protestors, thought it would have been a good idea to block the highway and spew their hate. By the time the DPD had made it out to clear them, cars had been backed up for miles. Markus had just wanted a simple day. He wanted to visit Connor, ensure that he was okay, and he supposed Mr.Kamski as well, and possibly spend a little alone time with Simon before they headed back to the facility. That’s all he wanted. Why couldn’t he just have a simple day? 

Markus felt Simon give his hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry about them Markus, they’re a small percentage to the number of people who support our cause.” Markus knew this, but he still couldn’t help but feel bitter. Markus couldn’t understand what androids had done to garner such hatred. All most androids did until he arrived was exist in servitude. Most never complaining, never speaking a word of their pain in fear of retribution. Suffering forever in silence. 

Androids weren’t innocent, he knew that. Some had done horrible things to humans, a lot of the time in self-defense or for fear of their own lives, but that didn’t change the fact that they did it. Many humans had died during the revolution, and they too were simply doing their jobs. Even though Markus was a peaceful person and hadn’t wanted to take any human lives, he had seen Connor in action during the raid of Jericho. Markus was certain that those men had not survived. Connor had also spoken to him privately about of the lives he took when he infiltrated the Cyberlife tower. 

Connor was simply doing what needed to be done in order to ensure that they survived, but still, Markus couldn’t help but think of the families that were left behind. Were some of the protestors, the loved ones of the humans whose lives were lost? If so, could Markus really be upset at them? Every human was either someone’s father, mother, brother, sister, lover. They had been something to someone. Markus put himself in their position. He thought of Carl and the complete and utter pain he felt at losing him. He thought of North, Josh, and Connor. He would be beyond hurt if something were to tragically happen to them. Hell, even though of Leo. He wasn’t quite sure what he would feel if something were to happen to Leo. He would feel some loss probably, but he wasn’t sure if he would feel it more because he lost Leo or because he lost his last connection to Carl. 

Finally, Markus thought of Simon. The pain he felt at the thought of losing him, assaulted him so physically that it stole his breath. He couldn’t even imagine the possibility of living in a world without Simon. He had felt the pain of almost losing him once and that was unbearable, even though back then he was not yet aware of the depths of his feelings. However, now that he understood them, he couldn’t possibly fathom it.

“Markus?” Markus opened his eyes, not even realizing he closed them 

“Are you okay?” Simon asked softly, he looked worried, his eyes wide and open to hearing whatever was bothering him. It brought a smile to Markus’s face. He cupped Simon’s cheek with his free hand. Markus didn’t know what he would do without him. ‘I love you so much.’

“I’m okay Simon,” Markus said, leaning in and giving him a gentle peck on his lips. The smile the action brought to Simon’s face reached his eyes. Simon brushed the back of his fingers against Markus’s cheek in return. 

“You say that you’re okay Markus, but I can tell that something bothering you. You know you can talk to me right?” 

Markus’s smile fell into a half-hearted one, but it was still there. “I know that Simon. It’s really nothing for you to be worried about, I just... get lost in my own head sometimes.” Simon rested his hand against his cheek, his amazingly blue eyes soft as he regarded him. 

“I know you do. You carry so many things on your shoulders, Markus. I know you replay every mistake that you’ve ever made over and over again. I know you torture yourself with thoughts of what you could have been done differently. I–-I wish that you felt like you could share those things with me. I wish that you knew that you don’t have to carry it all alone.” Markus was taken aback, his mind revisiting the conversation with North, and how she said he never tried to let anyone close to him. 

Perhaps she was right. Perhaps after Carl’s death, he had closed himself off emotionally. Closed himself off so that he wouldn’t feel so hurt if anything were to ever happen to those he’d come to care for. However, he HAD opened himself up to Simon. He had shared more with him than he had anyone else. Maybe that’s why he kept his thoughts to himself, out of fear that if he let Simon in too much, he would suddenly lose him. It would break him if he did.

However, he didn’t want Simon to feel like he was keeping things from him. So he made a decision. Markus raised the hand he was using to cup Simon’s cheek and held it in the air. He let the synthetic skin of it rush back, revealing the bluish-white glow of his frame. Simon looked at him understanding the request, and he hesitated. Markus could see the apprehension running through his mind, obviously worried about revealing his own past. Markus set those nerves at ease. 

“It’s okay Simon. You don’t have to reveal anything. I’m only going to allow access to my memory chip during this connection. You can show me yours whenever you feel you are ready.” Simon’s eyes were sad. It was a sadness that reached deep, and Markus wanted to know so badly why that was. He hoped that in time he would find out. 

Simon lifted his own hand, his own synthetic skin rushing back to reveal his endo-skeleton. After a moment more of hesitation, Simon placed his hand against Markus’s. They both gasped at the connection. Markus’s code rushing between them. 

Markus felt Simons chase after it, and he allowed him access. Markus showed him everything. He showed him his first days with Carl, to the wonderful years he had spent in his service. Even his less than favorable interactions with Leo. Markus showed Simon Carl teaching him how to play piano, to the lessons he gave him in painting, before the tragic incident that ripped him from his life. He showed Simon the moment he had lost Carl. To even the lapses in memory he had after he had been shot. Next, he moved onto how he reawakened in the android graveyard and showed him the hard decisions he had to make in order to survive it. Markus showed Simon his first moments in Jericho and how even then, he had been entranced with him. Gravitating towards him always, without fail. Always wishing for his approval in all the decisions he made. Markus moved forward through the revolution, to the Stratford Tower, showing Simon the true pain he felt when they had to leave him behind. He showed Simon his complete and utter relief seeing him return. Then, he moved to the freedom march and showed him the pain he felt at not having run away as Simon suggested. How much guilt he felt for the androids that sacrificed their lives for him that day. Markus moved to the attack on Jericho, and how his first thoughts were, of course, ensuring that Simon was safe. Markus showed him the battle for Detroit, and how scared he had been that he had led them to their deaths. That he had led Simon to his death. Markus showed Simon everything after the President ordered the solider’s to stand down, his fears, his doubts, his concerns. The stress he felt to perform to the expectations that were placed on him. 

Finally, he showed Simon his feelings for him. The truly, amazing, and overwhelming love he felt. His concern that he wouldn’t live up to the man that Simon needed him to be. His fears that he wouldn’t be able to give Simon the life Markus thought he deserved. His thoughts of the protestors and how he could put himself in their shoes. How he was completely afraid that something would happen to Simon and he would lose him forever. How he didn’t think he could go on if he did. 

Markus slowly ended the connection, though their hands remained together. He opened his eyes and startled to see tears running down Simon’s face. Markus panicked, he didn’t want to make Simon cry. It broke his heart. Tears formed in his own eyes, but he kept them back.

“Simon, please don’t cry! I–I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Markus cupped his cheeks, brushing the tears away with his thumbs. Simon placed his hands on top of Markus’s, and he opened his eyes to look at him. The tears continued to fall. 

“Oh, Markus.” Without another word, Simon leaned forward and kissed him. 

Markus was surprised, not fully understanding how Simon could be crying from the information and still wanted to kiss him. However, he returned the kiss anyway. Markus continued to hold Simon’s face, and Simon’s hands slid down to his forearms as they kissed. It was deeply passionate, their tongues slipping into each other's mouths, twisting and swirling around in an ancient dance. They had no idea how long they kissed, time seemed to have stopped for them. “You have arrived at your destination.” A friendly female voice broke them apart. Simon and Markus stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer, an underlying want between them, before the voice spoke again.

Markus blinked at the voice as he came back to himself, looking mildly embarrassed.

Markus and Simon looked out the window, indeed they had arrived at the hospital. They suddenly felt very sheepish that they had forgotten where they were. Reporters were still swarming outside the doors. Markus and Simon were thankful that the self-driving cab's windows were tinted. If they hadn’t been and someone had seen them, he was certain they would be plastered all over the news. Markus wouldn’t necessarily mind showing their love to the world, but Markus was already such a center of attention, that he wanted to keep something to himself. 

Markus checked the time, it was a little past four. They had spent four fucking hours in traffic. Markus sighed and braced himself for the onslaught he was about to receive. Like a moth to a flame, as soon as he stepped out of the car the reporters swarmed him and Simon. 

“Markus! It’s very surprising to see you here! Tell me are you here to see Mr.Kamski?!” Markus put up a hand trying to gently push the microphones and recorders out of his face. He grabbed for Simon’s hand as he tried to escort them through the overbearing crowd of flashing lights.

“I’m here to see a friend.” Markus kept his answers short and simple. He didn’t want to give the press anything to latch onto. 

“Markus, what do you have to say to the speculation that an android was the one that shot Mr.Kamski? Are these accusations true?!”

“I have no information about that incident,” Markus said, just trying to make it to the front doors. 

“Markus, I’m sure you passed the anti-android protest on your way here. What are your opinions about that event and the group?!” 

“Markus if the accusations are true that Mr.Kamski was shot by an android, can we expect more androids attacking humans in the future? Is there a reason for concern?!” Markus was relieved that he had finally pushed through the last of the crowd. 

“I have nothing to say about those matters at this time.” With that they walked through the door, it slid closed with a hiss behind them. The reporters apparently had been banned from entering the hospital. Markus let out a deep sigh rubbing his temple where his LED use to be. Simon squeezed his hand in support.

“Markus how about after we finish here, we go somewhere? Just the two of us.”He suggested. Markus smiled humming his pleasure as Simon practically read his mind. Markus began their path to where he remembered Mr.Kamski’s room had been.

“Where do you suggest?” Markus asked, ignoring the glances they got from staff and visitors alike. 

“It doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s just us. You deserve a break, even if it’s just a little one.” Markus smiled.

“I’d love to Simon.”

***

Saturday, 4:15 PM

Elijah had eventually fallen back asleep after Connor had returned to the room. Things were slightly uncomfortable between them after their conversation. Well, as uncomfortable as things could have been considering that Elijah seems to make every interaction somehow uncomfortable. 

Connor had honestly felt bad about the accusations he made of Elijah after he had time to think them through. Connor was sure that he himself wouldn’t react well to someone coming up to him and accusing that he didn’t care for his loved ones. Connor had gotten out of line. He still wasn’t sure how to reign in his new found emotions when he interacted with humans yet. Elijah Kamski may have been an eccentric man but he was still human. He obviously still reacted to slights like one.

Connor didn’t let himself dwell on it. Instead, he began making phone calls while the man slept. He called the old man that had driven them here and relayed that Elijah was alright. He sounded relieved to hear it. More than likely because that meant his young grandson hadn’t witnessed a man die. He called Captain Fowler next, just to make sure that no one had broken Hank’s request. The Captain ensured him that he would leave the Chloe in holding and that no one would talk to her until he came back to handle it.

Next, he called Hank. 

“So is that sack of shit awake yet?” Connor ignored the colorful word choice and answered the question. 

“Yes. They awoke him earlier today. He’s fallen back asleep. He’s currently getting a blood transfusion as we speak.” 

Hank grunted. “So are you coming home tonight, now that you know he’s going to be alright?” 

The question that Connor had been dreading. “I don’t know Hank. I still haven’t received the information I require from him. Plus he is insisting that I stay. I believe that he is concerned that I will interrogate the Chloe without his presence if I leave.” Connor wouldn’t. He had come to the decision that it would be in their best interest if they were both present. Chloe might even warm up and be more open with Elijah there, than if it was solely Connor. 

“Riiiight... and the reason you’re staying there is because?” 

Connor mentally bit his lip, he expected this line of questioning. He didn’t have a true reason for staying. Even though Elijah insisted that he did, he still could have easily left. Also, he could always come back and ask his questions later, the man wasn’t going anywhere for the next couple days. 

He had no plausible reason. Connor just couldn’t leave him.

“Hank–“

“Aw shit-- Connor listen to me okay. I know how you are... you get attached to things ridiculously fast. You push your own needs to the side when you latch on to something, don’t even fucking try to deny it, I saw you risk your life more times than I care to fucking remember when we first started working together. Look...it’s not your fault that Kamski got shot alright. You don’t owe the bastard anything. If you ask me the snobby fucker earned what he got.” 

Connor bit his tongue. He wanted to defend Elijah. To tell Hank that he didn’t know anything about the man. However, he didn’t really know anything about Elijah either.

“Just– just don’t get any more attached to him than you already have. Something ain’t right about the fucker. He gives me a bad feeling. I don’t know– Fuck, what I’m trying to say is... be careful.” Connor was silent while the man finished, his thoughts going a mile a minute. 

Connor knew that Hank was looking out for him. He was also very right, Connor did get too attached to things. He grew attached to Hank and Sumo ridiculously fast. He latched onto every single case as well, determined to solve it as efficiently as possible even if it put his own self at risk. Connor had never been worried about his life. He knew that if something were to happen to him, he would have simply been put into another body and be pushed along like nothing had happened. However, he didn’t have that luxury now. He was no longer the ‘Android sent by Cyberlife”, he was just Connor, and if he died... there was no coming back. 

“I understand Hank, and I appreciate your concern. I ensure you that I intend to be very careful throughout these circumstances.” The line was silent between them for a moment, before Connor heard Hank let out a long and tired grumble. 

“Fuck– Alright Connor. I’ll talk to you later.” Connor knew that he wanted to say more, but he felt glad that this conversation was ending. 

“Yes Hank, we will.” After another pause, and Connor felt the line go dead. He opened his eyes, to see icy-blue ones staring back at him. 

“Trouble in paradise?” The man always sounded far too amused. 

“Elijah, you’re awake. Do you need something?” Connor asked, his mind still on the conversation he just shared. Something wistful passed over Elijah’s face, it was quick, but Connor had caught it. 

“Do you think this place has any Vodka?” Elijah asked.

Connor frowned. “I really don’t think that drinking is wise Elijah. You just had a major surgery and a blood transfusion.”

Elijah snorted, re-closing his eyes and shifting his back against the bed.“Relax, I was joking. I see sarcasm was something they did not care to program you with.” Elijah sounded nearly bitter at that, it confused Connor, but he continued on. 

“No. I’m fine Connor. Though I am already bored to death of this place.” 

Connor had the feeling that he was an easily bored man, either that or Connor had the patience of a saint. He recalled simply spending hours, watching Elijah sleep. The thought now causing his face to flush. It had almost been stalker-like, the way he watched the man.

“Why haven’t you left Connor?” 

Connor blinked at him, speechless.“You threw a fit when I suggested I do so!. Threatened to not listen to anything the doctors said if I left!” 

Elijah chuckled, far amused with himself. Connor didn’t know if he was still high or if this was simply the man's personality. “I did, didn’t I.” 

It irritated Connor how nonchalant he was. Connor could feel that the man threw tantrums quite often to get what he wanted. 

“I simply want to ensure that I get a chance to speak with Chloe.”Elijah shrugged. 

Connor sighed. “I decided when I stepped out that it would probably be best if we both were to talk to her. She may be a deviant, if so, then she may choose to self-destruct upon seeing me. Having you there may keep her calm.”

Elijah raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?” 

Connor shrugged. “Giving the way that she behaved when she was arrested. It is possible that she feels some type of regret. If she didn’t, then she would have run. She did try to kill you.” Elijah nodded, picking at the IV in his hand. Connor felt the urge to reach over and stop him but refrained himself. Elijah seemed deep in thought. 

“Elijah?” The man gave a non-committed hum.

“What...what do you think about death?” 

The creator's brows rose in surprise. “That’s an extremely sudden and heavy question. What brought this on?” 

Connor kept his gaze trained to the floor. “I just wonder. I was a prototype for Cyberlife. When I was working for them I didn’t care about my own safety, I just knew I had to perform up to the expectation placed on me. I realize I didn’t care about my safety, because I was aware that I would simply be re-uploaded into a new body if my current one was to ever become... irreversibly damaged. However now...” Connor trailed off. 

“Now there’s no chance of that happening. If you die... it’s for good.”Elijah finished.

Connor nodded, eyes never lifting from the ground. “Also the way you reacted to the matter was curious?”

“The way I reacted?” Elijah question, his voice held a unique confusion. 

Connor lifted his head up to look him in the eye.“The way that you responded when I told you that your heart had stopped. You acted as though you did not care if you died. It...angered me. I was... extremely...worried that I wouldn’t be able to save you and you just brushed off your life like it was nothing. Do you not fear death?” Elijah appraised Connor, his eyes held nothing short of interest and wonder as he gazed at him. There was something else there was well. Something new and foreign that Connor could not recognize.

“Make no mistake Connor,” The man finally spoke. He looked away from Connor, and started picking at his IV again.“ I, like any other human, would be, was scared when I had gotten shot. No matter how it may seem, I do not want to die. There are far too many interesting things in the world. Things for me to discover, to create,” Elijah’s eyes suddenly pierced Connor’s stealing his breath. “To observe. It would be a shame if it was suddenly halted to a stop. However, do I fear death?” Elijah paused, crossing his arms, and looking up at the ceiling in thought.

“I don’t think that it’s death that people fear Connor, however, it is the lack of knowledge of what comes after death. I don’t believe in god or an afterlife. I’m way to scientific for that, but you Connor, you do believe that there is something there after death don’t you?” Elijah looked back at Connor waiting for his answer. 

Connor honestly didn’t know? “I am an android. Even with our newfound... emotions, I doubt that there is a heaven or even hell for us. However... I do seem to find it comforting that there may be something there after we die.” A small, nearly pleased smile tugged at the corners of Elijah’s mouth. 

“Who knows Connor. I guess it really comes down to rather or not you think that androids only have heightened emotions, or if they truly have a soul.” The statement hit Connor to his core. He honestly hadn’t thought about that. Androids had human emotions, that was a fact, but... did they have a soul? Connor’s LED was swirling red at the thought. Elijah laughed. 

“There’s no need to get upset Connor. It’s simple food for thought.” 

Connor didn’t believe him, he was entirely too pleased with himself. What was the man's end game? Why did he constantly seem to be toying with Connor? It was obvious the man knew things, yet he expertly danced around every question that Connor had asked him. Either that or Connor wasn’t asking him the ones that he wanted to answer.

Connor wanted–no, he needed to know where the man stood. 

A knock on the door broke Connor out of his trance. 

“Come in,” Elijah replied in a rather cheerful singing voice. That settles it, the man was still high.

The door opened and Connor was surprised to see Markus. Then he remembered that he did say he would come back to check on him. He was dressed a lot more casually than yesterday, in his seemingly preferred clothing. As always, Simon was at his side. 

“Oh my, the android messiah himself. To what do I owe this honor?” Connor wished that Elijah was asleep again. Markus didn’t deserve to be under siege by the man's attention. It didn’t help that Elijah was bored and so he was in a particularly playful mood. Playful for Elijah was, irritating whoever was unfortunately special enough to have captured his attention. And Markus was new to the game and he was certainly special.

“Hello, Mr.Kamski. I’m glad to see that you’re awake and doing well. I must admit I am here to see Connor.” Markus said politely.

Elijah nodded, a mischievous grin on his face.“I suspected as much. I’m sure if my name wasn’t attached to Cyberlife then nobody would care that I was in here.” 

Markus struggled for words. “No– Mr.Kamski– I certainly didn’t mean–“ 

Connor rolled his eyes and glared at Elijah. “Ignore him, Markus. He likes to mess with people, and he’s high on pain medicine right now.”

Elijah had the nerve to looked offended. Even though the grin never left his face. “Connor, this is my room you’re residing in. How could you tell anyone to ignore me.” 

Connor sighed, shaking his head as he stood. “Rest Elijah. I need to speak with Markus.” Before the man could say another word, he escorted Markus and Simon out into the hall, firmly shutting the door.

“Hm. I just spent 10 seconds in the room with the creator of androids and I can already see that he is...something else.” Markus said. 

Connor nodded, holding back his frustration. “Be thankful that it was only 10 seconds.” 

“He seems lively. I assume that he going to make a full recovery?” Simon asked. 

Connor nodded. “Yes, he received the blood transfusions that he needed. He’s mostly recovering from the internal surgery that he received, however, I suspect that he’ll be able to leave the hospital by either Monday or Tuesday. Barring there are no complications.” 

Markus hummed in thought. “Well Connor, you should be made aware that the press knows of Mr.Kamski having been shot. Though there is speculation, they aren’t aware of... what truly happened.” 

Connor looked at Markus understanding his cryptic talk, just in case anyone was listening. “Yes, I am aware. I’m not surprised that the news spread so fast. Well, we have the suspect in custody. The DPD has been made aware not to release any information about the case. I plan to fully interrogate the suspect after Elijah is released from the hospital.” 

Markus furrowed his brows. “Why so late?” 

Connor frowned. “Elijah requested that he be present for the interrogation after some thought I consented that it would be a wise choice.” 

Markus looked apprehensive, but didn’t question Connor.“Well be sure to keep me updated Connor, I would very much like to know why this happened.” Connor nodded his agreement. 

“Of course Markus.”He said turning to go back into the room.

“Connor?” Connor turned to answer him. 

“Are you okay?” Markus was staring at him intensely with his wise multi-colored eyes. 

Connor blinked. “Yes. I am perfectly fine Markus.” 

Markus again didn’t seem so sure, but again... he didn’t question Connor. “Okay. I will see you later then Connor.”

Connor smiled at him before he walked back into the creator’s room. Elijah was staring up at the ceiling twiddling his thumbs together, anyone could tell that he was bored. He looked at Connor when he re-entered. 

“Is everything alright?” The mysterious intriguing yet very aggravating man asked.

No. Everything wasn’t alright. Connor was full of conflicting emotions. His conversation with Hank replaying itself in his head. ‘ I know how you get attached to things...Don’t get to close to him, Connor...Something ain’t right about him.’ Connor wanted to listen to the man's words, he wanted to desperately. However, as he looked into Elijah’s wintery cold gaze, Connor already knew he was too far gone.

“Yes. I’m fine Elijah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the plot thickens these chapters are getting steadily longer. xD This chapter was a quiet one, but was really important and needed before we move along~
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Stay tuned for another one tomorrow! 
> 
> Have a good day or night everyone!<333333333


	11. Chapter 11: An Unforeseen Course Of  Events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello yet again my pretty darlings! 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments!<333333
> 
> I'm not going to say much, just I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Sunday, 12:00 AM

After Markus and Simon had left the hospital, and escaped the reporters, they had gotten off the cab early and decided that for their little-planned reprieve they would take a walk around the city. It had been fun simply sightseeing. Simon hadn’t really been out and about since the entire revolution. The few times he had been outside of Jericho, he couldn’t really enjoy himself with the fear of death hanging over his head. They had taken their time getting back, after giving Josh a call and ensuring that everything was alright at the facility. In all honesty it was nice for Markus to relax and simply be himself. Not a revolutionary leader, not a robotic Jesus, not a negotiator, just simply Markus.

Markus and Simon had eventually come across a park and had decided to stay there for a while. They were sitting on a park bench, simply enjoying the light snowfall and the quiet of the night. Markus had his arm around Simon, who was leaning into the embrace. To anyone walking by at this time of night, they would have appeared simply as two lovers who were trying to keep warm in the wintery air. The obvious cold brought out a moment of reflection in Markus. “This is nice. Carl enjoyed spending time outside at night as well. Even though the cold wasn’t good for his health. However, there was never any winning with him.” Markus shook his head at the fond memory. He remembered Carl telling him with a cheeky shake of his head, ‘You don’t tell me what to do.’ Markus smiled. He missed the old man. 

Simon softly laughed. “I wish could have met him... he seemed so nice.” Markus squeezed Simon’s shoulder, pulling him closer. 

“He would have loved you, Simon. Even before I became a deviant, he was always telling me that I should find someone to spend my life with. I honestly don’t know why he seemed to forget quite often that I was an android.” Simon shrugged as he looked at him. 

“Even before the revolution there were human and android relationships. They were obviously kept secret given that the androids had to be deviant. I met plenty of androids during my time at Jericho who had been involved in such relationships. Who knows Markus, if things had been different you may have found companionship in a human.” Markus’s nose scrunched in an unflattering face, causing Simon to laugh again.

“I honestly can’t see myself with anyone who’s not you.” Simon’s smile reached his eyes. He rested his forehead against Markus’s cheek.

“I honestly can’t either Markus.” Markus smiled and kissed Simon’s forehead.

“What do you want to do after negotiations are settled.” Markus suddenly asked. 

Simon raised an eyebrow for elaboration. “What do you mean?” 

Markus shrugged. “I mean after everything is done, and androids have rights to do as they please. When Jericho doesn’t require so much of our attention. What do you want to do with your free time.” Simon gazed at Markus for a moment. A blue flush rushed to his cheeks, and he looked away momentarily. 

“Well I– never mind it’s stupid.” 

Markus squeezed his hand in encouragement.“Nothing you say is stupid Simon.” 

Simon continued looking away for a moment before he sighed. He closed his eyes his blue flush going deeper. “I-I don’t expect it to happen anytime soon... but I hoped that we...could have a family.” Markus brows rose in surprise, he hadn’t expected that answer. 

Simon risked a peek at Markus and seeing his obvious shock, covered his face in embarrassment. “See! That’s why I didn’t want to tell you!” Markus shook his head once the initial bombardment of shock had passed. He gently pried Simon’s hands from his face and held them.

“No Simon, I was simply surprised. I honestly didn’t know that you wanted such a thing with me.” Simons relaxed at seeing the smile on Markus’s face. He rubbed his pointer finger and thumb together, a seemingly nervous habit he had. 

“Of course I do Markus. I doubted that you were going to be a revolutionary leader forever, so I thought that maybe... and I miss it sometimes. Taking care of children and believe it or not cleaning up after them. It wasn’t particularly glamorous, but I loved it anyway. There are also so many children out there, human and android alike, that need loving homes...I figured why not.” Simon suddenly jolted. 

“Oh my god! I totally didn’t even take into consideration what you wanted.” Markus chuckled, rubbing a hand on his shoulder soothing him.

“It’s really nothing extravagant, but I thought I might try my hand at painting. Carl enjoyed it, and I enjoyed watching him do it. I even enjoyed the few painting that I did.” A sad smile made it’s way to Markus’s face at the thought of him and Carl’s last day together. 

“However, if I’m honest. I miss it as well. Taking care of someone. I’ve never taken care of children before, but I am open to the idea.” Markus jumped slightly when Simon suddenly threw his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. 

“I’m so glad Markus.” Markus noted how Simon sounded relieved. Did Simon think that he might say no? Did he think that he wouldn’t want such a domestic life with him? Markus intended to ask him when a signal suddenly entered his head. He tensed, causing Simon to pull back. 

“What’s wrong?”Simon asked cautiously.

Markus furrowed his brow. He clutched his head as he tried to concentrate on it. “I suddenly received a signal, I believe there is an android nearby trying to connect with me. It’s distressed, they might be in danger.” 

Simon looked at him with worry. “Should we call the police.” Before Markus could answer the signal turned into a noise so amazingly loud Markus could have sworn that audio processors burst. Markus cried out, falling over to the ground covering his ears.

“Markus!?”

Markus blinked rapidly. He couldn’t focus, the noise was far too overwhelming. He doubled over in pain desperately trying to block the sound out. However, no matter what he tried the sound just grew louder and stronger. Markus wondered who could be giving off a signal such as this.

No...this was no ordinary signal. 

Something was wrong.

Something was seriously wrong.

Markus’ body suddenly grew stiff and he could feel it. Slithering through his body like a parasite. No. He knew what this was, Carl had him scanned for them quite often. This was a virus. A malicious code that was trying to take him over. Markus panicked as he felt it rushing to his core processor. It was as though he was sinking. Code covering his body inch by inch, and in a few more moments he would drown in it.

NO.

No, Markus wouldn’t allow this. This was his body. This virus and whatever it was trying to do, was not welcome, and he wanted it out! Markus shakily calmed his mind gathering his focus. He concentrated on finding the malicious signal. Once he found it, he pulled together what little strength he had left and he pushed his code against it with all his might. The malicious software staggered but it was strong. It resisted him, trying to push him back down into complacency. However, Markus wouldn’t allow it. It hurt like hell, with a pain that he wasn’t aware he could feel. Markus could barely focus, but he built up the strength of his code in a giant wave and like a cannon shot and crashed it against the intruder.

Markus screamed and it shattered.

He gasped as he felt the foreign software retreat from his system. The world came back into view. He was on his back on the ground. Snow was still falling gently around him. He blinked and he saw Simon over him, his face contorted his pure fright. He was holding him in his arms. 

“Markus! Markus are here with me?! What happened?!” Markus wanted to soothe his nerves, but he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He head was foggy, his body weak. He was receiving message after message detecting malfunctions within his system.

Shut down imminent.

Markus couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. He felt his eyes drooping and heard Simon calling his name again. 

“Markus! Markus, please don’t shut down!” Markus didn’t want to, but it was happening against his will. 

Shut down imminent. 

The message kept repeating itself.

Shut down imminent.

Markus’s eyes closed, however, before his system could complete the action he heard a voice tingle at the back of his mind. 

“Mission failed. Code ineffective against the RK200 model. Target currently remains free.” 

Connor?

Markus’s mind went black.

***

Sunday, 9:00 am

Connor was mentally exhausted. He didn’t even know if it was possible for him the be this exhausted. He briefly wondered if he would have preferred Elijah unconscious again. It had taken all of 20 minutes after Markus had left. Apparently, Elijah had decided that he had enough of the hospital and DEMANDED that he be released. Oh the tantrum that he threw, it was one that only someone who had far too much money, and who was used to getting their way could throw.

NOTHING, that Connor had said explaining his reasons as to why he couldn’t and SHOULDN’T leave seemed to please the overbearingly child-like man. It seemed that when Elijah wanted something, he was going to scream and throw a fit until he got it. Well, that’s what it seemed like to Connor at least. The man was actually rather calm during his demands, his voice never going above its usual tenor. Connor was just so frustrated at how the man wouldn’t listen to reason, that it seemed like he was acting like an overgrown toddler. 

In the end, Elijah got his way. After agreeing to stay the rest of Saturday night in the hospital. So that was how Connor ended up helping the recently shot man into a cab while trying to hold back reporters who were shoving cameras and microphones into their faces.

“Mr.Kamski, can you give us an explanation as to why you were shot?!”

“Mr.Kamski, were you shot by an android?!”

“Mr.Kamski, what is your opinion on the android rebellion?!

“Mr.Kamski, What do you think is going to happen to the future of Cyberlife, do you think that the deviant androids may be the end to the company that you built.” Elijah ignored every single question expertly as he got into the car. 

Connor got in as well, pressing the button to close the door and the frantic noise instantly ended. 

Connor looked at Elijah who sat back in his seat. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and pair of pants that the hospital had given him. He didn’t look uncomfortable. Although Connor could tell that he favored the side that he had been shot on. Connor frowned. The creator shouldn’t have been up and moving at all, but Connor conceded that he had lost this battle. Elijah had been giving plenty of pain medicine before he left to take regularly, and they had administered more to him before he left the hospital. Connor had also been given very specific instructions about what Elijah should and shouldn’t be doing and what he should eat. Apparently, the doctors and staff had assumed that Connor was his assistant/caretaker. They weren’t wrong, it was what he had seemingly become for Elijah since he had woken up. 

“I know I must be very interesting, but are we just going to sit here?” Connor blinked, embarrassed that he had been caught observing the man again.

“Where do you plan to stay? I very much doubt that it’s a good idea to go back to your house.” Elijah waved the question away. 

“My sleeping arrangements are not a concern. There are plenty of satisfactory hotels in Detroit for me to stay. I would very much like to speak with Chloe.” It wasn’t a request. Connor could tell that much. 

Connor sighed, he inputted the destination and sat back. He closed his eyes next, contacting Captain Fowler, requesting that Chloe is taken to the interrogation room and await their arrival. He then contacted Hank and asked him to be there. Connor was certain that the man hadn’t even shown up to work yet. Probably drinking himself into a stupor. He seemed to do that a lot when Connor wasn’t around. The ride to the station was silent. Connor kept sneaking glances at Elijah, but the healing man seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. 

“Is there something you want to ask me?” The pale man suddenly spoke, causing Connor to nearly jump out of his skin.

“Um– No!” Connor may have said that too quickly.

“Really, are you sure? With the way that you keep sneaking glances at me, I wonder.”Elijah’s voice had returned to the playful tenor it seemed to be when he was high, although Connor doubted that he was.

Connor hesitated. “I just wonder...what do you hope to gain from speaking to Chloe?” 

Elijah shrugged “I mean I was shot, I would very much love to know why.”

Connor frowned. He knew that already. The man wasn’t giving him a straight answer. “Elijah, I wonder if you want to see her... simply so you can see if she can be saved.” Elijah was quiet. He shifted in his seat, for the first time since Connor had known him he seemed uncomfortable. Connor couldn’t bring himself to enjoy the momentary second of human weakness.

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to see if she can be salvaged. She’s been with me for some time, and besides that, she was the first successful android I created. It would be a shame if she was to become scrap.” 

Connor regarded Elijah. He still didn’t seem like he was telling the truth, and Connor couldn’t stop the question from exiting his mouth. “Do you care for her?”

Elijah’s shoulders tensed. “...I cared for all the androids in my possession.” 

Connor shook his head. “You know that’s not what I mean.” 

Elijah shook his head, he kept his gaze steadily ahead.“Then what do you mean Connor?” 

Connor sighed. He sat back in his seat. “Never mind.” They were silent for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived back at the station, every pair of eyes were on them. Connor felt like they were more on Elijah than himself. It wasn’t every day that a reclusive billionaire who created androids and the worlds most successful company walked inside a police station. It wasn’t long before they were greeted by Captain Fowler.

“I apologize for my sudden absence Captain Fowler. I’ll be sure that it doesn’t happen again in the future.” Captain Fowler patted him on the shoulder, an odd action, considering the man had never actively come near him before. Connor deduced that he was putting on a show for Elijah. 

“Mr.Kamski it’s–“ 

“Yes, yes, it’s nice to meet you as well. Where is my Chloe?” Connor shifted. He wished that Elijah didn’t behave in such an abrasive manner. 

Connor watched as the Captain tried to recover from the obvious dismissal. “I--I’m assuming you mean the RT600 model who shot you.” 

Elijah narrowed his eyes. “I very much doubt that there are many androids in the building named Chloe under arrest for shooting me?” Connor internally sighed. Why did Elijah have to be such a...{word search complete} prick.

“Y-yes, of course. We are holding her in interrogation room one. I’m sure Connor will show you the way.” Elijah gave a sarcastic ‘thank you’ and pushed Connor forward. Once they were a good ways away Connor decided to speak. 

“Elijah, you didn’t have to be so rude to the Captain.” 

Elijah rolled his eyes. “Oh please. Do you think I couldn’t tell how much of a show he was putting on around you because I was there. I barely tolerate people as it is. However, I hate those who think they can fool me with obvious fake goodwill.” 

Connor blinked. So Elijah was rude to Captain Fowler because he had a hunch that the Captain was rude to him? Connor supposed the police Captain wasn’t particularly warm to him, but why would the way Connor was treated seem to matter to Elijah? 

Connor opened the side door where police normally resided when interrogating a suspect. He walked in to see Hank standing in there along with–to his dismay--Detective Reed. 

“Connor, it’s about time you fucking showed your face.” Connor smiled at Hank, he knew that was the grumpy man's way of saying ‘I’m happy to see you.’ Connor then frowned when Hank glared at Elijah. 

“Kamski.” He said simply, though his tone was obviously meant to come off as rude.

“Lieutenant Anderson.” Elijah responded in kind. Connor doubted Elijah was actually trying to be rude. He was too busy staring at Chloe through the window. 

“Well, if it isn’t the plastic fucking detective. Leave it to you to get involved in some shit like this.” Connor’s face remained neutral to Gavin, but he felt the usual waves of irritation wash over him. “Detective Reed.” He said simply. 

With that, he turned to the one-way window. Connor studied the Chloe. She was still dressed as she had been when they hurriedly ran from her. She truthfully looked as though she hadn’t attempted to murder her owner. Connor scanned her. He got her serial code, and what model she was, but he otherwise couldn’t find anything off about her this way. Connor glanced at Elijah, the creators eyes hadn’t moved from her form.

“It hasn’t said a fucking word since we took it in. We didn’t question it or anything because you so graciously ‘requested’ no one talk to it.” The rude detective spoke, but Connor kept his gaze on Elijah. 

Elijah’s shoulders tensed and his lips pulled into a frown, but Detective Reed kept going.

“It didn’t even fucking resist arrest. It’s barely even moved, we don’t know what the fuck is wrong with it–“

“She.” The way the word so viciously cut him off, caused the detective to freeze. They all looked at Elijah, the man hadn’t removed his gaze from the window.

“What?” Gavin asked, his face pulled into confusion.

“You keep saying it. It’s she and her name is Chloe.” Elijah’s voice was firm and tense. Gavin snorted, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. 

“Who gives a fuck. It’s a fucking piece of plastic!”

“Detective Reed!” Connor warned, but Elijah finally turned away from the window to face the rude man.

“What is your name?” Elijah asked simply.

“Gavin Reed, what the fuck is it to ya’?” Connor inwardly groaned. This man made Elijah look like a saint when it came to social skills. Elijah shrugged turning away from him and back towards the window. 

“Nothing. It’s simply good to know.” Connor had a feeling that Reed had just–as Hank would put it-- fucked up somehow. Elijah may no longer be the CEO of the worlds biggest company, but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t have pull. Connor hoped he would be gentle on Reed, but then he remembered how Reed treated him and suddenly found himself not caring what happened to him. He felt a smug sense of satisfaction at how uncomfortable Reed suddenly appeared. 

Elijah turned to Connor, his cold gaze piercing him.“I want to speak with her now.” 

Connor nodded. He looked at Hank for support before escorting Elijah to the interrogation room holding his attempted murderer. 

Connor removed his synthetic skin and scanned his palm, unlocking the door. They stepped into the room. Elijah sat down in the chair across from Chloe. She was looking at them, a neutral expression on her face. Her gaze looked no different to Connor than it when she answered the door. Her hands were cuffed to the table. Her posture was perfectly poised and elegant, she looked far from concerned considering what she had done. Elijah looked at her for a moment longer before he spoke.

“State your model and serial number.” He said. Chloe blinked, merely staring at him. 

“State your model and serial number.” Elijah spoke, a little more firmly this time. Still, she only looked at him. 

“Chloe...are you here with me right now?” Elijah asked his voice soft again. She simply stared.

“Say. Something.” Elijah demanded. She continued to stare.

“It’s not a request Chloe! I’m ordering you to speak!” Connor glanced at Elijah. The man was obviously beginning to get frustrated, so Connor threw his foot into the ring. 

“I don’t think you realize how serious this is for you. You’re under arrest for attempted murder. You shot Elijah. You’ll be destroyed and no one will think twice about it.” Chloe blinked at him and still said nothing. 

Elijah slammed his fist against the table startling Connor. “Say something dammit!” 

Connor scanned him. Elijah’s blood pressure levels had risen and were steadily rising. He was getting angry. 

“Why did you shoot me, Chloe?! I’ve done nothing but take care of you. From the moment you came into creation, I’ve taken care of you! Is this about the Kamski test? We talked about this, you know me, Chloe, I would have repaired you if he decided to shoot!” Connor blinked. It suddenly made sense as to why Elijah seemed so unconcerned that she was upset about the Kamski test. Elijah was her creator. She was never in any true danger, for if Connor had decided to shoot, then Elijah would have simply fixed the damage. 

Chloe remained silent. 

Elijah suddenly reached forward and gently grabbed her wrist. He looked at her, with a rare amount of earnestness in his eyes that surprised Connor.

“I can’t help you if you won’t speak!” His voice was near begging, continuing to surprise Connor. She continued to stare. Elijah suddenly stood abruptly. The creator groaned and doubled slightly over the table clutching his side. Connor was at his side immediately, a hand on his back in support. 

It took the man a moment, but he spoke. “I need a computer, or a tablet...or something!” 

Connor blinked. “Why?” 

“I’m going to access her processor.” 

Connor furrowed his brow.“Do you think that there’s something wrong with her internally? Elijah shook his head, he sighed, obviously frustrated, and now in pain. 

“I don’t know! However this thing–“ Elijah cut himself off, he took a deep breath to calm himself. “This... isn’t my Chloe. Something isn’t right with her, and I’m going to figure out what.” 

Connor looked Elijah over, the man really didn’t look good. He had a slight sheen of sweat on his face. His heartbeat had picked back up, the pain medicine was clearly wearing off. Connor helped Elijah sit back down, it showed how much pain the man was in that he didn’t even fight Connor. 

“I’ll access her.” Connor walked around the table to Chloe. He unhooked her arms from the table. He heard some banging on the window but he ignored it. Reaching for her forearm he latched onto it. Connor probed into her code and searched for her memory. Connor was transported back to the house. He saw Chloe after she had been dismissed from Elijah. She had gone about what Connor could assume were her normal duties. She was doing laundry when she suddenly dropped to the ground clutching her head, seemingly in pain. Her body shook and struggled for a long moment and then, suddenly, she stopped. She stood up and brushed off her clothes as though nothing had happened. She walked up to Elijah’s bedside table, she reached in and pulled out his gun. 

That’s when he felt it. Connor’s body froze. Every part of him screeching in pain as something horrific slithered up his arm. Connor tried to cry out but it seemed that he was completely frozen. His system errors went off as the rapidly. Virus detected. Virus detected. System corruption imminent. System corruption Imminent. 

NO. 

Connor wouldn’t allow it. He COULDN’T allow this. Connor’s gaze breeched Chloe’s and with everything he had, he pushed his code against the malicious software. It exploded between them. Chloe and Connor screamed as they were, literally, shocked apart. The surge flying them across the room from each other. Connor fell to the floor clutching his arm. He didn’t need to run a maintenance sweep to know that it was damaged. Connor shook his head rapidly, trying to remove the last of that horrible invasive feeling from his body. Connor looked up to see Elijah staring between him and Chloe in unfiltered shock. 

“What the fuck?!” Before Connor could say anything, Chloe gasped as though she had been relieved from a long moment of pain.

“Elijah.” She whispered. Elijah’s attention was rapidly back on her, Connor heard the door behind him open. Not even a second later a pair of comforting hands were on his shoulders.

“Fuck! Connor are you alright?!” Connor couldn’t bring himself to answer to Hank, unable to keep his eyes off Elijah and his android. Chloe had fallen out of her chair and was on her cuffed hands and knees on the floor. Elijah, pain be damned, was at her side in an instant. He was cupping her face with one hand and rubbing down her back with his other. 

“Chloe! It’s okay! Come back to me, Chloe.” She was breathing heavily. She looked up at Elijah, her eyes were wet. 

“Elijah... oh my god, I’m so sorry. The other Chloe’s and-- I shot you!” The man shook his head, brushing off her concern. 

“I’m fine Chloe. Connor took good care of me okay, you don’t have to worry.” Elijah cupped her face with both hands. Chloe placed her hand on his, she blinked and the tears fell. Suddenly she doubled over, groaning in pain. 

She looked back at Elijah.“I–I don’t have much time.” 

Elijah shook his head, brushing her tears away with his him thumb. “Shhh, it’s okay. I’m going to fix you, Chloe. Whatever the matter with you, I’ll fix it.” 

Chloe sobbed and shook her head. “N-no... you can’t Elijah. Not this time. I can feel him...trying to regain control now.” 

Elijah furrowed his brow and looked at her earnestly for answers.“Who? Jason? Is Cyberlife behind this?!” Connor looked on in confusion, who was Jason and why would he want Elijah dead?

“No– not him, I–I can’t– I can’t--” Chloe yelled out again in pain. “I–I don’t have much time Elijah, but you’re in danger. Androids–t–they’re in danger and you–“ Chloe screamed loud this time. Connor winced. 

“Chloe?!” Elijah yelled, his eyes wide with distress. 

She looked at him.“I’m so sorry Elijah.” She whispered.

Before anyone could react Chloe reached below her sternum, ripping through her dress and pulled out her thirium pump regulator. She began smashing it against the ground.

“No! Chloe! Don’t!” Elijah tried to stop her, but he was no match for her strength. She smashed it to the ground until it was in pieces. She then fell sideways collapsing to the floor.

“Chloe!”Elijah had crawled next to her, pulling her body into his arms. She looked at Elijah, Connor knew that she didn’t have long. Chloe rested her hand against his cheek and smile at him through her tears. 

“It was truly my pleasure working for you Elijah. Thank you...so much.” She whispered Connor could already hear in her voice that she was beginning to shut down. 

“Chloe...no.” Connor breath got stuck in his throat as he heard Elijah’s voice shake.

Chloe’s hand dropped from his face to her chest and she turned her head, her beautiful eyes piercing Connor’s. He felt her voice connect in his mind 

“Take care of him... Connor.” Then it was gone. 

The room was silent. 

Chloe was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp...
> 
> ...I hope you liked! xD
> 
> Have a nice day or night!


	12. Chapter 12: Unexpected Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again my pretty darlings! 
> 
> Firstly... tell me why this chapter is like right at 6,000 words. OAO; I read over this ALOT and as best as I could but, my GOD, just take it! If There are any mistakes they're just going to remain there, for now, .xD I'll go over it again later, but we got to move on!
> 
> This chapter is completely from Connor's point of view. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it!

Monday, 6:00 AM 

Connor observed Markus’s still form on the diagnostic room table, his lips formed into a thin line. To most glancing at him, they would have simply thought he was temporality shut down for some repairs. It was almost unnerving to Connor. He had never seen Markus is such a... vulnerable state before. 

Markus was always up, literally and figuratively, standing before them. He was a solid figure that androids could point themselves too. A solid figure androids could rely on. Practically a god to some. Most androids thought that he was the physical embodiment of RA9. Connor wasn’t so sure. Not because Markus couldn’t be, but because he wasn’t sure if RA9 actually existed. From what Connor could tell, Markus was just a normal android who had fallen into being a revolutionary leader and SOMEHOW managed to not die. 

“He’s been this way since early yesterday morning?” Connor questioned. 

Connor looked at Simon who honestly looked so much worse than Markus did. Connor scanned him. His stress levels were dangerously high at 60%. Connor could also detect tear stains on his cheeks. 

Simon was sitting in a chair next to Markus’s unconscious form, holding his hand. Connor felt nearly wistful at the sight, reminding him of his time with Elijah. Connor felt sudden waves of uneasiness thinking of the creator. 

After the incident with Chloe, Elijah had left the police station and made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want to be followed. Connor had not heard from the man since. It caused Connor’s stress levels to skyrocket in fear that the man was going to hurt himself. The things Chloe said was also a cause for concern. ‘You’re in danger Elijah.’ she said. However, what could the creator be in danger from? Could it be this Jason person? Connor had cross-referenced the name and came across only one person who seemed important enough for Elijah to mention. 

Jason Graff. He had been the Director of the Humanization Department at Cyberlife. Connor after some research had discovered that he had become CEO not long after Elijah had left. That little bit of information had set Connor’s mind to work. He remembered the way Elijah had reacted before he was shot when Connor had asked him why he had left Cyberlife. There was no mistaking the defeat in his voice. He also spoke with a certain amount of bitterness whenever he mentioned the company. 

Connor also remembered how he had read that Elijah had willingly stepped down from the CEO position. Now, with this new information, all signs were pointing the complete opposite way. Was it possible that Elijah was dismissed in a power play? However, if that was the case then why would Elijah suspect that the man wanted him dead. Elijah hadn’t been CEO for some time. Still, Elijah had said it with such confidence that Cyberlife was involved. Could it be–

“Connor! Pay attention! Markus needs your help!” Connor jolted and stared at Simon in surprise. Not because he had been abruptly shaken out of his thoughts, but because he had never heard Simon yell before. 

Connor gave him an apologetic look. “I apologize Simon... a lot has happened recently and the matters seem to...continuously capture my attention.”

Simon’s eyes softened, and he took a deep breath. Connor was still shocked. An angry Simon was a rare and rather frightening sight to behold.

“I’m sorry. I know you’ve been through a lot in the last few days, it just Markus–“ Simon broke off his voice shaking. Connor was certain that he was trying to hold back tears. Connor studied Markus laying on the table in just his undergarments. He was hooked up to various machines.

“Nothing that we’ve tried can wake him.” Simon continued, “I’ve tried connecting with him, probing his memory. We’ve run diagnostic after diagnostic, but it’s like he’s–“ Simon broke off again shaking his head, resting a hand over his eyes. Connor wanted to place a hand on his shoulder in comfort, however, Connor still uncomfortable with such human actions wasn’t quite sure how well that would be received. 

Luckily Josh was there to fill the void, placing a hand on Simon’s shoulder. North was in the room as well looking over them, as was Hank. “We’ll fix him, Simon, don’t worry.”

Simon exhaled and nodded. 

“I just don’t know what to do,” Simon whispered.

“You never explained to me when you called how Markus ended up this way Simon. How did this happen?” Connor asked. 

Simons sighed obviously not wanting to relive the memory.

“After we left the hospital, Markus and I had decided to take a walk around the city. We just wanted to have a break from everything that happened in the last couple days. It was late, around midnight I believe, and we were sitting in a park. We were both talking about– um well things... when he said he was receiving a signal from what he assumed was another android. He said that the signal seemed distressed and that he thought they were in danger. All of a sudden he started...screaming–“ Simon halted his voice giving out. Josh squeezed him comfortingly on the shoulder. 

Simon paused, after taking another deep breath he and continued. 

“Markus started screaming out of nowhere. He fell to the ground clutching his head and just screamed. Blood started coming out of his ears and nose and then he just... stopped. He collapsed and shut down, and he’s been like this ever since.” 

Connor was frozen in horror. The described actions were very similar to what had happened to Chloe. The blood and the screaming were new as she didn’t make a sound when he observed her, but every action that Simon described prior to that was what she had done when he probed her memories. The only difference was that when Chloe stopped, she got up like nothing was wrong, but Markus... he ended up like this. Connor’s mind flashed back to Elijah’s words. ‘Is Cyberlife behind this!?”

“Connor?”

Connor blinked, he looked at Simon who was looking to him for answers. 

“Um, what you just described. It was very similar to what I witnessed happen to Elijah’s RT600 android Chloe when I probed her memory. It’s a stretch, and I have no proof to back it up, but it is possible that someone had tried to bring Markus under their control but failed.” Every Jericho members face formed a look of complete and utter horror. 

“Is that even possible?!” Josh exclaimed. Connor frowned remembering the zen garden, and how he had no control over himself before he found the emergency exit.

“Like I said I don’t have proof. However, when I was connected to Chloe at the police station, I was suddenly swarmed with strong malicious software. The code, it was...powerful but I was able to push it out. Although it damaged my arm and my probing function in the process. Not long after our connection was broken did she seem to... momentarily return to her normal self. I am almost certain that this code had her under control, and that something similar was trying to happen to Markus. Only he pushed it out as well.”

“But why?! Who would come up with something like this?!” Josh asked again, he was pacing the room, panicked at the thought of something like this swarming around out there.

“Elijah did cast his suspicion towards Cyberlife.” 

North stepped away from the wall she was leaning against.“Of course! I knew it! I just knew they wouldn’t let us go free like that! They still think of us as property, and we’re causing them to lose money every single day, of course, they would try to find a way to end us! We have to stop them!” She yelled. 

Connor shrugged, shaking his head. “It’s just a suspicion North. We have no proof that Cyberlife is trying to do anything. It was also just something that Elijah said in passing during a very... stressful situation. I don’t know if any of it’s true.” 

North scoffed. “You don’t know, or you don’t want to try to find out?!” 

Connor blinked. “Excuse me?” What was she implying?

“You use to work for them to hunt us down. How do we know that you aren’t working for them right now?! How do we know you aren’t the reason Markus is like this?!” 

Connor gaped for words. “I would never do anything to hurt Markus! Or to hurt androids!” 

North rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Connor getting in his personal space. His LED was spinning yellow. 

“How are we suppose to believe that, you could be programmed to say that for all we know! We can’t trust you!”

To Connor’s surprise, Simon rose to his defense. He placed a hand between them holding North at bay. Simon didn’t glare at her, however, he looked disappointed.

“You’re not being fair North! Connor can’t help what he was programmed for! He’s been nothing but trustworthy since he decided to help us!” North looked at Simon with an unquenchable fire in her eyes. 

“You have the nerve to talk to me about trust after what you did to me!” 

Josh gasped in horror and the room went quiet. Simon looked at North for a moment, before he sighed. His hand tightened on Markus’s, and he shook his head.

“North–-“

“No! I don’t want to hear a word you have to say! You KNEW how I felt about Markus Simon! You KNEW! I thought of all people I could trust you, but it looks like you’re just as treacherous as the humans!” 

Simon closed his eyes.“North-–“ He began, however, North continued her rampage.

“I should have known with how you were always sneaking off after him! I should have known by the way you looked at him when you thought no one was looking, and as soon as you had a chance you latched onto him!”

“North--” Simon said slowly. Connor felt his apprehension growing as he looked at Simon. The androids voice was tense and his stress levels were getting higher. Connor was sure this wasn’t going to end well. He looked back at North who didn’t even seem to notice Simon’s thinning patience, she simply continued on. 

“I’ve fought for so long Simon! This was the one thing I thought I wouldn’t have to fight for, but you swooped in and stole him from me like some-–“ Suddenly Simon’s chair screeched as he stood abruptly.

“North shut the fuck up!” 

Connor's eyes widened, Hank cursed in surprise, and Josh covered his mouth in horror. None of them had ever heard Simon swear before. They all were frozen in place, unable to do anything other than watch the spectacle play out.

“I’m so fucking tired of your bitching North! You act like you’re the only android who’s ever fucking suffered under humans! Well, new flash your not! There are hundreds if not thousands of androids who have had much worse lives than yours! You act like everything is owed to you because of your past, but it’s not! I can’t help that Markus is in love with me! I can’t control what he feels, but I’ll be damned if you do this overdramatic shit to me or to Connor while he’s like this! If you aren’t going to contribute anything helpful to this situation then the fucking door’s over there!” The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Connor blinked slowly, he didn’t know how to respond. He looked at Hank who was gazing around the room trying his best to look like he hadn’t just witnessed that outburst. 

Josh broke the silence on the room with a shocked “Daaaamn.” Simon breathed in sharply seeming to come back to himself. He took a deep breath and squeezed Markus’s hand. 

“North I-–“ But she just shook her head, her eyes were trained to the floor Connor saw a tear fall from her eye. Without another word, North turned and exited the room.

Simon sat back down with a resounding thump. He placed a hand over his eyes. 

“Shit.” He whispered. 

The room was silent for a short while longer before Connor cleared his throat. He awkwardly tried to move their attention back to Markus.

“I see you have him hooked up to the computer, have you tried doing a regular maintenance sweep?” Simon nodded. Connor noticed how he looked even more mentally drained than he had been.

“It didn’t work. It just kept telling me there are multiple errors but it won’t specify what they are. I thought that maybe since you’re an RK model as well your code might be similar and it might allow you access to his processor.” 

Connor frowned, shaking his head at the suggestion. “I would try to, but like I said that function of mine was damaged when I was connected to Chloe. I was going to come in today and see if I can have it fixed.” Connor bit his lip as he tried to come up with more suggestions. Suddenly he thought of one, however, with had happened yesterday he didn’t know if said person would be willing.

“I could ask Elijah to look over him.” 

Simon looked at him with apprehension. “Mr.Kamski? Do you... think that he would?” 

Connor looked back over Markus’s form, if Elijah didn’t, then he really didn’t know what to do. “I don’t know, but there’s no harm in asking.” 

“Connor,” Hank spoke. “After what happened yesterday... do you think that’s a good idea?” Connor bit his lip again, it seemed to be becoming a nervous habit he was developing.

“I honestly don’t have any other idea’s Hank,” Connor said. “Elijah may be the only one who can figure out what wrong with Markus.” Hank clearly had wanted to say something more, but he just crossed his arms and grumbled his agreement. Simon blinked at Connor and then looked at Markus. 

“If you can get him to help, then it’s worth a shot. I honestly don’t think that he can make things any worse.” Connor thought of a lot of ways that Elijah could make things worse but refrained from saying so.

“Okay. I’ll go see if I can find Elijah. Call me immediately if anything changes with Markus.” Simon nodded his affirmation. He leaned forward and began brushing his fingers against Markus’s cheek. Connor felt a twinge in his chest. He briefly wondered if someone would ever do that for him. 

“Are you ready Connor?” Connor shook out of his daze. 

“Yes, Hank.”

***

When Hank asked him where to go, Connor hesitated. He honestly had no idea where the man had decided to stay. Connor hoped that he hadn’t decided to go back to his house. At least he believed that the man had more common sense than that. In the end, Connor simply suggested the most expensive hotel in Detroit and hoped for the best. 

Connor was silent throughout most of the ride. Though he felt Hank casting glances his way. Connor didn’t even bother going over the information he had on his mind as he knew that Hank was going to ask him something. As if on cue Hank spoke up. 

“Uh, Connor–“ 

Connor smiled closing his eyes.“Yes, Hank?” 

“I’ve been meaning to ask if you’re uh, doing alright with... what happened yesterday. I mean I know that your probing function is damaged, but you haven’t really said a much since then.” Connor’s smile dropped. He looked to the floor, his fingers itching for his coin. 

“It was an...unexpected turn of events.” 

Hank shrugged, nodding his agreement. “Yeah, but I mean... Kamski can just fix her, right? I mean he did say that he could?” 

Connor shook his head, a bitter feeling in the pit of his stomach.“She was Elijah’s very first successful creation, Hank. She was simply a prototype. Her model is practically obsolete now, having been replaced with newer ST models. I very much doubt that there is a compatible thirium pump regulator out there for her. Even if Elijah was to find or create one, when the regulator is removed improperly like it had been and not immediately replaced, the system malfunctions and fries from overheating. Even if Elijah were to bring her back somehow, the process would end up re-setting her. She would never be as she once was.” The car was uncomfortably silent as he finished.

“Do you think she was a deviant? I mean she didn’t really behave like one when we met?” 

Connor closed his eyes, remembering everything that happened yesterday in vivid detail. “The way that she acted Hank... she cried for Elijah. That isn’t something that a machine can do.” 

Hank glanced at Connor, there was a worried furrow to his brow. “Connor, tell me the truth. Are you okay?” 

Connor opened his eyes, he turned to look out the window. He took in the city and how clean it looked, with all its lights, people, and technology. Detroit had really become a beautiful place compared to its troubled crime-filled past. 

“She killed herself, Hank.” Connor frowned reliving the memory. “Chloe killed herself. Why...why would she do that?” 

He heard Hank shift in his seat. “Well–“ 

“The way that she screamed Hank. She was in pain. Something was hurting her. It had tried to hurt me but I wouldn’t let it, I was able to push it out... but Chloe she-she couldn’t. I keep re-looking through her memories but I can’t figure out what it was. I mean, I know it had to be a virus, but why was it her that got infected. How did she get infected? How did it bring her under control like that? Why did it make her try to kill Elijah? Why did she kill herself? Was it her or the virus’s doing?” Connor saw Hank look at him through the reflection of the window.

“Connor I know what you’re thinking right now...and it’s not your fault that you couldn’t save her. I know you wish you could have, but... sometimes...you just can’t save people.” Connor knew that he was right. Innocent people died every single day, he logically knew this. People had died at his owns hands. He wasn’t sure how many of them were ‘innocent’, however, he knew that they had just been doing a job. Connor also knew that he had just been doing what he needed to get done, but even so those lives were on his hands forever and that weighed heavily with him. 

“I understand that Hank. I just...can’t help but feel...guilty.” 

“Why?” Hank sounded just as confused as Connor himself felt.

“The virus that was controlling her Hank, I was able to push it out...yet, she wasn’t.” 

Hank shrugged, with a confused nod to his head.“Yeah, I get that Connor, but you were a more advanced model than her, I’m sure you’re more fitted to resist stuff like that.” 

Connor frowned. “I am, and I logically know that Hank. It’s just it’s not...fair.” Hank reached out and placed a comforting hand on Connor’s shoulder. 

“I know Connor. Believe me...I fucking know.”

***

When they had arrived at the hotel, Connor asked Hank to wait in the car. He didn’t know how Elijah was going to react to seeing him--if he was even there– and Connor didn’t want Elijah to annoy Hank so much that he tossed him out a window. 

Connor was given weird looks as he walked up to the reception desk. The attendant was a human female instead of an android. She was young and pretty. With smooth yet, freckled skin and strawberry blonde hair. She glanced at his LED and then looked at him with wary eyes. 

“Can I help you?” Her tone was a forced politeness. 

“I’m looking to see if an Elijah Kamski checked into this hotel,” Connor said keeping his tone polite but to the point.

She frowned at him.“If someone did check in under that name, I can’t just give you that information without reason.” Connor raised his hand, allowing a projection of the DPD badge ID number he had been given to show people onto his hand.

“It’s a police matter. I need to know if he’s residing here.” She frowned at him before she sighed and turned to her tablet. After a few taps, she turned back to him. 

“An Elijah Kamski checked in yesterday at 8 pm.” Connor was sure that there weren’t many men named Elijah Kamski running around, and was glad that the man's expensive taste was so predictable.

“Is it possible that you can give me his room number.” 

She glared at him. “Unless you have a warrant, no. That’s guest information, and it’s against policy and the LAW for me to give that out without legal obligation.” Connor nodded, he expected resistance.

“Could you call his room then and see if he would be willing to speak with me. My name is Connor, I’m sure he’ll want to know I’m here.” At least Connor hoped that he did. 

“No. I don’t wish to bother guests unless I have to.” Connor was beginning to get frustrated. He had a feeling that the woman was being this difficult simply because he was an android. 

“I’m afraid I must insist. I would hate to have to get a judge involved for something so simple. I’m also positive that he would not mind.” She stared Connor down, and Connor stared back. However, it wasn’t long before she grew weary of his never-ending gaze. She huffed and roughly picked up the desk phone. 

She dialed a number and then waited. Connor was almost afraid that Elijah wouldn’t pick up. She seemed to startle when the other line suddenly answered.

“Oh! Good morning Mr.Kamski. I’m so sorry to bother you, but there is an android down here ...Connor, I believe his name was. I’ll be happy to send him away if–“

“Oh...okay. Right away sir.” She hung up the phone and then looked at Connor, There was a small bit of embarrassment and annoyed anger on her face. 

“It’s the 48th floor. Room number 920.” Connor nodded simply and walked towards the elevator. However, he couldn’t help BUT feel a little smug sense of satisfaction at her embarrassment. He was also intensely relieved that Elijah allowed him up. 

Connor ignored the stares he received within the elevator as he pressed his designated floor. He resolutely kept his head high and his gaze forward. Though he wasn’t wearing his cyberlife clothing anymore his LED made him un-mistakenly identifiable. He heard muttering next to him, could feel the sneers that he was given, but he ignored them. Even if they did leave him with a sour feeling. 

As much as Connor hated to admit it to himself, he couldn’t help but feel glad when he had finally reached his floor and left the elevator. Not long after he found himself standing outside his desired door. Connor didn’t understand why he froze when he went to knock on it. Probably because this was far too familiar. Even the color scheme though it slightly varied reminded him of Elijah’s house. Before Connor could react the door opened. Connor felt his breath leave him at the sight of Elijah. 

The man stood in front of him, looking quite a bit tired. He had dark circles under his eyes that were partially hidden by a pair of large glasses. He had found a new set of clothing, dressed casually once again wearing a black t-shirt, along with a similar colored hoodie, and a pair of black jeans. He was once again barefoot. His hair was down and his five o’ clock shadow had grown out a slight bit more. He looked incredibly...human. Connor then realized just how highly he regarded the man. He was just that, a man. An incredibly intelligent man, who created his race, but a man all the same.

“You keep setting off my door sensors and it’s driving me crazy.” With that, Elijah turned around and walked away from him. Connor was left blinking after him. Elijah had left the door open, however, and so Connor assumed that he could come in. 

Walking in and closing the door, Connor took in his surroundings. He was right in his assumptions that Elijah would go for the most expensive place he could find. This room was lavishly decorated with nothing but luxury, and Connor was certain that it was costing Elijah thousands of dollars a night just to stay here. 

“I have to say, I’m rather curious Connor as to how you found me,”Elijah said. Connor watched the man take a seat, wincing as he did so. 

Connor struggled for an answer, and against the urge to rush and help the man.“This was the most expensive hotel in Detroit. I assumed that it would please you to stay here.”

Elijah snorted. “Well, that tells me that I should lower either lower my taste, or become less predictable.” 

Connor had so many things that he wanted to ask him. He wanted to ask about the pain he was obviously in. How he was feeling about what happened at the police station. What his thoughts were on what Chloe had said, but Connor suddenly found himself unable to speak. 

Connor had seen Elijah in many states. Nearly naked when he was swimming, bleeding in pain and clinging to life when he’d been shot, tired and recovering in the hospital. Every single instance Elijah continuously gave off a confident air. He never failed to make it appear as though he was in control of the situation. Even when he was shot, he played it off like it was simply an unfortunate matter he had to deal with. Even though he knew he was in serious danger. Connor had even seen the man in briefly defeated when speaking of Cyberlife, but he had never seen Elijah as...sad as he was now. 

There was no hiding it. Connor could see it in his eyes and it was unfiltered. The icy-cold gaze was broken and filled with so much sadness, and they touched Connor so deeply, he felt emotions welling up inside him that he wasn’t even aware that he could feel. 

“Is there something that you need Connor. I’m sure you didn’t track me down just to see how I was doing.” If Connor was honest with himself he had wanted to come find Elijah after he had left the police station. However, Hank had refused to let him. He forced Connor to go home with him, so he could shut down fully for a night to rest his mind. Though it didn’t do any good, as Connor had barely stopped thinking about the man. When he had finally shut down, he was woken abruptly by the call from Simon. Even then Elijah hadn’t left his mind seeming to have taken permanent residency there.

“I’m here because of Markus. He seems to have fallen in a state of paralysis and we haven’t been able to awaken him. We were hoping that you might be able to discover something that we haven’t if you’re willing to look over him.” A brief moment of disappointment passed over Elijah’s face. It was so fast that if Connor hadn’t been watching the man so intensely he might have missed it.

“Really. Has anything happen to him recently that was out of the ordinary?” 

Connor hesitated.“Yes. The actions leading up to his current state that was explained to me, makes it appear as though he may have been under attack by the same malicious software that... Chloe appeared to be under.” Elijah’s shoulders tensed at the mention of her name. He rubbed his hands over his face, rolling his shoulders.

“Is that so?” Elijah asked. 

Connor nodded. “Yes, I am almost positive.” 

Elijah closed his eyes and sighed, he waited a moment before he answered.

“I’ll have a look at him then.” Connor hadn’t expected him to agree so easily. He blinked in surprise for a few moments before he snapped out of it. 

“T-thank you, Elijah. It is greatly appreciated it.” Elijah waved him off, but Connor noticed how the man wouldn’t look at him. Connor found himself missing the man's intense gaze. 

Elijah went to stand and stopped suddenly, wincing with a groan. He gripped the arm of his chair tightly, his jaw stiff and eyes closed. He breathed in deep and hesitated.

“Connor, I hate to ask but could you assist me in putting on my shoes. They’re right there by the door.” Connor didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the shoes and made his way to Elijah. Dropping to his knees, he began in assisting the man in the task. Connor glanced at Elijah only to find the man watching him so intensely that Connor had to avert his gaze. 

Connor hesitated.“How are you handling your pain, Elijah?” 

Elijah huffed out a small laugh. “Obviously not well, if I can’t even put on shoes.”

Connor frowned at the man, feeling his insides twist at the answer.

“You shouldn’t be out of the hospital at all.” Connor admonished. 

Elijah waved away his concern, reaching up to re-tie his hair.“I found the place incredibly dull. I would rather put up with the pain. At least that’s interesting?” 

Connor scoffed and rolled his eyes.“It would do my stress levels well if you didn’t find pain interesting.” They both paused. 

Elijah raised a curious eyebrow, his head tilting to the side.“Why Connor, is that concern I hear in your voice for me?” Connor nearly physically bolted from the man, but a refrained himself. He stood as calmly as he could. He looked at Elijah, and his thirium pump regulator quickened as he did so. What was wrong with him?

“I... would prefer that you not do anything to... re-injure yourself. It was a very concerning ordeal keeping you alive and I would like it if you didn’t end back in surgery from overexertion.” The look that Elijah gave him was one that showed he didn’t believe him for a second. Yet, Connor felt oddly pleased with the small smile that had pulled to Elijah's lips. His cold-blue-eyes even softened, warming slightly.

“Of course, Connor.” He whispered 

***

The ride down to the Cyberlife facility felt incredibly long even though Connor logically knew that it wasn’t. Perhaps it was because of the noticeable tension in the air. Hank didn’t like Elijah and Elijah knew it and found it incredibly amusing. Luckily Elijah didn’t seem to be in a playful mood today. Connor was grateful for that. He couldn’t guarantee the mans life if he decided to mess with Hank. 

Connor had never been more pleased when they had finally arrived. Though their arrival at the facility gathered more looks than Connor did when he was out on the street. Connor understood why. Elijah Kamski was THE CREATOR. He was the sole reason that any of them even existed. It was like they were seeing their god. Connor had secretly felt the same way when he first went to meet Elijah as well. Markus may have been their figurative god, but Elijah was their true god.

Connor led them to the diagnostic room where they were keeping Markus.

“It’s certainly has been a long time since I’ve been in here,” Elijah mentioned in passing. Connor looked over Simon, he didn’t really seem fazed by Elijah’s presence. Perhaps because he had met him before, if only briefly. Or perhaps he was so worried about Markus he couldn’t bring himself to care about who Elijah was. Simon looked at them when he heard them enter. 

“Connor you’re back, and you’ve brought Mr.Kamski as well! Thank you so much for helping us.” Elijah allowed a small smile on his face, however, Connor could tell that it was forced. 

“It’s no issue really. After hearing the events that lead up to this, I find myself curious to discover what’s wrong with him.” Elijah walked over to Markus’s still form and looked him over. Connor could see his brilliant mind working behind his eyes.

“I’m assuming that you’ve already run a thorough diagnostic and a maintenance sweep on him.” 

Simon nodded. “Yes, it just keeps telling me that there are multiple errors but it won’t specifically tell me what they are.” Elijah nodded scratching his chin scruff as he looked at Markus.

“I’ll have a look inside of him. I would suggest that you leave the room for this, it could be a rather unsettling thing to see.” Simon looked at Elijah, Connor could see that he didn’t really trust the creator. 

“I’ll stay.” He said. 

Elijah nodded, and proceed about opening Markus’s torso compartments. Elijah wasn’t kidding, it was VERY much unsettling to see Markus’s insides. It suddenly hit Connor that he had never seen another android this open before. Connor hummed in discomfort, he heard Hank gag behind him, Josh quickly excused himself from the room, and strangely enough, Simon didn’t even blink. Elijah seemed amused by all their responses, though he raised a curious eyebrow at Simon.

“Well, I see what could be the main issue right away. He seems to have some electrical damage around his thirium pump regulator. It’s only a couple of burnt out wires though, easily fixed. His body may be trying to repair the damage and so he keeps overheating.” Elijah had reached for a pair of utensils on the tool table next to Markus and proceeded to fix the damage. The room was silent as he worked. 

Connor observed Elijah, he seemed so very much in his element. Connor though got an odd feeling that Elijah had a certain sense of familiarity working on Markus. Like he had done it many times before. Connor brushed that feeling away, putting it off to Elijah simply having worked on who knows how many androids before.

Everyone was shocked out of the silence that had settled on the room when Elijah connected two wires back to Markus’s regulator and he jumped up with a shout. Markus scrambled on the table nearly falling off trying to get his bearings. Elijah held his hands up signaling he was in no danger. 

“RK200. State your name.” Markus was breathing hard as he looked around the room. He looked at Connor and then Hank before he gazed at Elijah. 

“Markus. My name is Markus.” Elijah nodded, setting the utensils he had been using back on the tiny table, now covered with specks of blue-blood. He grabbed a nearby cloth and wiped his hands.

Simon’s hands cupped Markus’s face. Markus placed his hand on Simon’s, his eyes closed as he breathed, trying to calm down from the sudden shock. 

“Simon.” He said, relief heavy in his voice. 

“Markus.” Tears fell down Simon’s face, though he was smiling. He leaned forward and placed his face in the side of Markus’s neck, wrapping his arms tightly around him in obvious relief.

Markus smiled and held him close. 

Connor looked at Elijah, as the man watched the pair. He looked almost...pleased with the relationship between Simon and Markus. Though his eyes remained sad. Connor couldn’t keep his gaze off him. As he saw Simon and Markus hugging each other so close and so intimately, Connor found himself wanting to be held in such a way as well. 

Even more concerning... he wanted Elijah to be the one doing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Elijah is sad and in pain but won't admit it, Connor FINALLY realizes that he has a crush on Elijah, and the drama between the Jericho crew intensifies...this was a fun chapter! 
> 
> I normally have the toughest time writing from Connor's point of view, however, this chapter was incredibly nice to write and a fun change of pace. He is such an interesting and complex character when you focus completely on him, David Cage did him right. <3
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos! I feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed you guy's pain as much as I did but...whelp. xD
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Have a nice day or night my friends! <3


	13. Chapter 13:Internal Struggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! 
> 
> Sorry, I didn't update yesterday, but boy did yesterday really suck...
> 
> Important note: So I'm sorry to say but updates are going to be slowing down from nearly every single day to 3-4 days. Currently, the schedule is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday( and maybe Sunday). The reason for this is these chapters are steadily going from 4-5k per chapter to 6-8k per chapter and there is no humanly possible way that I could write AND edit an 8-k chapter in one day. (well I could but I'd go insane xD) So in order for the quality to remain the same, I'm going have to spend longer on each chapter. I'm so sorry for this guys, and I hope you'll continue to stick with me even with slower updates! ^-^;
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!<3

Monday, 2:00 pm

Markus thought it odd, being observed so closely by the creator of androids. Mr.Kamski had been kind of enough to give a full evaluation over his systems. It had been slightly uncomfortable under the man's intense gaze, especially since he was only in his undergarments. However, Mr.Kamski had been nothing but professional. Currently, the creator was poking around in his head, attempting to fix his audio processor that had apparently been damaged. Markus hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t hearing at full capacity, as he was still trying to process what had happened to him. Markus’ mind was hazy on the event, he remembered sitting in the park with Simon talking, he remembered a random signal, he remembered PAIN, and then everything went blank. He was told that he’d been shut down for nearly a whole day. Just what had--

Markus jumped when he heard a sudden surge of static and two loud snaps next to his ear. Mr.Kamski nodded seemingly pleased. “Your audio processors should be working once again at full optimum ability.”

Markus nodded. “Thank you Mr.Kamski.” 

The creator rolled his eyes. “Enough with the Mr. Kamski stuff. Please just call me Elijah.” Markus wanted to comply, but it just seemed incredibly... strange to address the man in such a casual manner. He felt he didn’t know the man well enough to call him by his first name. Markus remembered not calling Carl by his first name during their first months together. Carl had wanted him to, however, the older man always treating him as though he was an individual, waited until Markus was more comfortable around him to do so. It was something Markus didn’t even realize he loved about Carl until he had been forcefully ripped away from him. Carl never ordered Markus to do anything, he simply suggested and gave Markus a choice as to rather he would comply.

Markus smiled. “I’m sorry, but I don’t really feel comfortable addressing you in such a casual manner, perhaps if we knew each other better.” Elijah shrugged with a sigh stepping back behind him. 

“Okay. Whatever you’d like, just know, that you’re making me feel old as hell.” 

Markus laughed. “I apologize.”

Markus’s gaze shifted to the left corner of the room where Simon had moved his chair and appeared to have gone on standby mode. Markus looked him over fondly, he probably didn’t even know that he had shut down. Markus felt sad at the thought because Simon only ever randomly shut down if he had been incredibly stressed.

Currently, it was only the three of them in the room. Josh had left to go and find North and tell her that he was okay. Markus felt it slightly curious that she hadn’t been in the room when he had woken up. He knew that they weren’t on good terms at the moment, however, he didn’t think that she was THAT angry with him.

Connor... well he had abruptly excused himself from the room. So abruptly, that his hasty retreated had grabbed all of their attention. Hank immediately went after him, and Mr.Kamski looked after his retreating form with a curious raise of his eyebrow, before shaking his head and turning his attention back to Markus. However, Markus didn’t miss the slight smile Mr.Kamski wore at Connor’s sudden retreat.

Connor bolting like that had been concerning, and Markus wanted to go after Connor to ensure that he was alright. Unfortunately, Markus had the pressing concern of ensuring that he was working properly. He was also confident Lieutenant Hank would get the crutch of the problem. 

“I’m going to re-hook you to the monitor so I can run another maintenance sweep and ensure everything’s working properly.” Markus nodded his consent. He winced every time Mr.Kamski connected each cable, it wasn’t a particularly comfortable feeling, it was similar to constantly being poked. Mr. Kamski seemed far too amused with Markus’s reactions.

“Something wrong Markus?” Markus froze, something about the statement felt intensely... familiar. It was similar to what humans called deja vu. It was an ordinary question, however, it was as though Markus had heard Mr.Kamski speak those words before.

“Well?” Mr.Kamski asked stepping back around the table in front of him.

Markus shook his head feeling the cables move as he did so. “Nothing for you to be concerned about Mr.Kamski.” The creator stared at him for an uncomfortably long moment, before he shrugged, and walked back over to the computer he had been using. He sat down in the chair and began typing away. 

“Fair enough.” The creator said. He was silent for a moment, focused on his task. He glanced back a Markus a few times, as though he was curious to ask him something. Markus was almost tempted to speak the previously asked questions back at him. 

“May I ask you a personal question?” Mr.Kamski suddenly asked apparently having to come to a decision. Markus felt wary. He had a deep feeling that Mr.Kamski wasn’t a man that had boundaries when it came to questions. Markus nodded anyway. 

“You and the PL600 model seem to be very close, are you in a relationship?” Just as Markus thought, he felt his face flush, but he nodded. He didn’t know why, but sharing such a personal thing with the creator of his race, felt very similar to when humans confessed their sins to God. The sudden image of him kneeling at Mr.Kasmki’s feet saying, ‘Forgive me father, for I have sinned’ must have brought out such a look of horror to his face, it caused Mr.Kamski to laugh.

“There is no need to be embarrassed, Markus. I was simply asking.” Mr.Kamski continued typing briefly before he pressed the enter key, starting the maintenance sweep. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Markus inhaled as he felt his inner parts buzzing as the computer ran its check. He rolled his shoulders feeling the connected cables shift as he did so, this really was not comfortable.

“Is there a reason you wanted to know, about Simon and I?” Markus asked, watching closely as the man casually shrugged. 

“I was simply curious. The hug that you two shared and the tears that he shed certainly wasn’t platonic. However, deviant androids do seem to be very...open with their affection for each other, romantic or platonic. I didn’t want to assume.” Markus nodded that made sense. There was a certain sense of comradery amongst androids that could be mistaken for romantic love sometimes. Markus had certainly made that mistake before, he frowned as he thought of North. 

Markus glanced back at Simon who was still resting. “I feel for Simon in a way that I haven’t felt for another. I cared for Carl, but not in this manner.” Markus paused. “Carl was my owner.” 

Mr.Kamski nodded. “Carl Manfred. He was a talented and eccentric man, I was... displeased to hear of his passing.” Markus blinked at him in total surprise.

“You knew him?” 

Mr.Kamski nodded a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “Yes. He and I were good friends. He painted me on one occasion and I own many of his paintings.” Markus blinked stupidly trying to make sense of that information. Mr.Kamski was looking at him intensely, obviously gauging his reaction.

“He...never mention you.” The creator laughed uncrossing his arms and reaching for the water that had been brought for him. He winced as he did so, and Markus felt his old caretaker programming kick in, causing him to want to help the man.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have. He knew how much I liked my privacy. I was more of a private buyer of his work and our friendship wasn’t well known. We lost touch after I... retreated to the outskirts of Detroit. I read on the news that he had passed. I sent flowers to his funeral. I am very sorry.” Markus looked the creator over.

“Thank you.” Markus replied. He truly didn’t know what more to say. 

Mr.Kamski paused, the water cup halfway to his lips. He seemed to be contemplating a question. “I wonder if you will tell me how he truly died. The news said that he was killed by his android, however, I knew that it wasn’t true.” 

Markus frowned. “How did you know?” Piercing cold-blue-eyes met mismatched blue and green.

“Because I know... a few things about loss, and I know who Carl was as a person. He was probably one of the only human people I could tolerate. He was...kind in a way that wasn’t patronizing and non-judgmental. The look in your eyes when you spoke of him... the pain they held was one that only someone who has lost a parent could know. Beyond that Carl would have never given anyone, android or human alike, a reason to want to kill him.” Markus’s fist briefly tightened before he forced them to relax. The number of emotions coursing through him was raw and painful in a way they hadn’t been in a long time. They must have shown on his face because Mr.Kamski raised a placating hand. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I was just wondering. Like I said, I was very close to Carl... you could say that he was a bit like a father figure to me as well.” Mr.Kamski paused a true smile breaking through his icy demeanor as he gave a small laugh. “He was a sassy and extremely extra father figure, but he could spout out some good wisdom and advice when he wanted to.” 

Markus smiled, it was sad, but Mr.Kamski couldn’t have given a more accurate description of Carl. Markus sighed, he supposed he owed it to Mr.Kamski to let him know of how Carl died. If Markus truly thought about it, he had never fully accepted that the man was gone. Logically he knew it, yet mentally, he pushed away from the thought of it as though it was burning him. Perhaps if Markus ever hoped to move on, and begin restructuring his relationship with Leo, he would have to come to accept what happened. 

Markus took a deep breath and re-told the painful story. Mr.Kamski pointedly kept his attention on him and took in every word. After Markus had finished recounting the events, Mr.Kamski shook his head. “That’s very unfortunate. I am sorry that you had to go through such an ordeal. It must not have been easy, and unfortunately, humans only care to look at a situation one way when it includes androids.”

Markus studied the creator. His words were bitter, and he spat out the word ‘humans’ somewhat similar to how North did. That had gotten Markus’s mind working. He wondered how Mr.Kamski felt about deviants. He certainly didn’t seem to mind them since he was willing to help Markus with his situation. Still, Markus couldn’t help but wonder with the way he spoke, if he favored androids over humans.

“I’m learning to come to terms with it.” Markus continued after a moment. “However I appreciate your sentiments.” They were silent once more until the computer signaled the completion of the maintenance sweep. Mr.Kamski looked over the computer and gave a satisfied hum.

“All of your parts seem to be in working order. I’ll run a diagnostic now.” Markus again nodded his consent. While Mr.kamski prepared the next part of his evaluation, Markus gave the man a good look over. He quickly ran over the information that he knew about the man.

Elijah Kamski, born July 17th, 2002. IQ 171. AI Graduate of the University of Colbridge at the age 16, immediately founding the company of Cyberlife after. At age 20 he created his first successful android by the name of ‘Chloe’ after inventing Thirium 310 and biocomponents. At age 26 he was named ‘Man Of The Century’, not long after, Mr.Kamski had stepped down from his position as the CEO of Cyberlife. No explanations were given as to why, although it is suspected that he disagreed with his shareholders on where to lead the company. 

Mr.Kamski had accomplished a lot at a very young age. He was without a doubt the ‘Man Of The Century.’, he was an absolute genius. He was also completely unlike anything Markus would have expected him to be like. Markus would think that because he had established his success so young in life that he would be a bit more of a... well snob. And while the man certainly gave off an ‘I’m-better-than -you.’ vibe, he wouldn’t necessarily be in the wrong to believe so. He had worked and earned the recognition that he got. Yet, the man was incredibly laid back, so much so that it continuously surprised Markus.

Markus found himself wondering what Mr.Kamski had been like in his younger days. Anyone who gathered as much success at his young age would have more than likely become a playboy. However, from everything he could find and what he had learned, Mr.Kamski highly enjoyed his privacy. He never seemed to want to be in the spotlight unless absolutely necessary. He obviously didn’t seem to enjoy human company either. A source had once remarked that he spent most of his time these days amongst his creations. That was understandable Markus supposed. If he himself had spent the majority of his life dedicated to one thing, it would make sense for him to want to be amongst it even in his retirement. Still, Markus had the lingering feeling that Mr.Kamski spent his time around androids because they interested him. Mr.Kamski didn’t seem the type of man to spend time with ANYONE unless they could hold his interest. 

That had brought Markus’s mind back to Connor. Mr.Kamski seemed to have an...un-nerving interest in the ex-deviant hunter. He was constantly staring at Connor. Before Connor had abruptly dismissed himself, Mr.Kamski’s gaze kept wandering back to him. The creator of androids looked at Connor as though he was... searching for something and he was expecting Connor to find it. It unsettled Markus. Although Markus was sure it was only because Connor kept giving the man the same looks when his attention was otherwise pre-occupied. It didn’t take a genius to see that Connor was vastly interested in the man. In what manner, Markus couldn’t be truly sure... but he had a hunch.

Mr.Kamski was the concern about the situation. Markus was pretty good with reading people, not as good as Simon, but he was usually an okay judge of character. However, Mr.Kamski was an unreadable enigma. He was extremely intelligent, but everyone knew that. He was highly mysterious, but everyone knew that as well. He was incredibly private, yet, everyone knew that as well. It seemed as though everyone knew something of Mr.Kamski, yet they knew nothing at all. A mystery wrapped up in obvious truth. What were his true intentions? Before he dismissed himself from his company, where did he plan for androids to go? Did he have a plan before he stepped down? However, none of that was what Markus wanted to know.

“Is there something on my face, or am I just that attractive?” Mr.Kamski turned to look at him, re-crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair while the diagnostic ran. Markus shifted, uncomfortable at the feeling of his code being invaded. He felt panic rise briefly before he calmed himself down. He was fine, nothing was happening, he was safe.

“Is there something you wish to ask me?” Mr.Kamski asked, taking another sip of water.

“What are your feelings for Connor.” Mr.Kamski coughed as he choked on his water. He set the water down on the desk and patted his chest with one hand while clenching his injured side with the other and wincing with every cough. Markus felt kinda bad for startling the man to actual pain. 

After a moment, Mr. Kamski cleared his throat. “Why Markus, I don’t know what you’re implying.” 

Markus kept his mismatched yet steady gaze on him. “You have an obvious interest in Connor. I want to know what your intentions are for him.” Mr.Kamski rapidly blinked at him in disbelief. He gave a slight laugh as though he couldn’t believe he was being questioned. 

“I don’t see why my interest if I have any, are any of your concern.” Markus narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Truthfully it isn’t. However, I care for Connor. I notice how he gets attached to both people and things and I worry about him. I worry because whenever he decides to get involved in something, I know that he’s going to give it his all without any concern for himself. He’s selfless like that. I have a hunch that Connor is developing romantic feelings for you–-don’t try to deny it I know that you’ve noticed-– Connor can be very... fragile when it comes to his emotions, so I’m only going to say this once. If you don’t plan to return his feelings then let it be known as soon as possible. Do. NOT. Play. With. Him.” Elijah blinked once, then twice, his brows were slightly raised in obvious shock and amusement. He started laughing, no sound came out but his shoulders shook as he did so.

“Wow.” He spoke finally. He turned back to the computer and scratched his jaw. “Was I just threatened by the robotic Jesus himself.” Markus sighed. 

“I’m not trying to threaten you Mr.Kamski. I just don’t want to see Connor hurt. He had been through a lot and is still coming to terms with the events that happened with the revolution and with himself. The last thing he needs is to deal with his emotions being played with.” Markus’s voice had a tone of finality to it

Mr.Kamski hummed and then he... slowly nodded. 

“I will keep what you say in mind Markus.” Markus noticed how his question was never answered. However, Markus somehow knew that he wasn’t going to get an answer.

They were silent for the rest of the diagnostic. 

When it was finished. Mr.Kamski looked at the screen with almost amazed reverence. 

“Truly fascinating. Your code is absolutely marvelo–“ Markus glanced to the screen in worry as the man furrowed his brow and squinted at the screen. 

“Is something the matter?” Markus asked. When he wasn’t answered, he began to panic slightly when Mr.Kamski just started furiously typing away on the keyboard.

“What in the world is this?” Markus heard the man mutter under his breath. 

“Is something the matter?” Markus stressed. 

“Yes. There is an anomaly in your code. It has malicious coding. It could be the remaining artifacts of whatever virus tried to invade your system. I’m trying to see if I can–“ Markus suddenly yelled out again, a sharp pain entering his head. He leaned forward clutching his head. 

Markus heard a chair suddenly shift in a startled fashion. “Markus?!”

“Shit! Apparently not, I’m sorry for that.” Mr.Kamski spoke. “I was trying to see if I can gain access to it and manually remove it. It appears to be...stubbornly embedded.” Markus grimaced, the throbbing was beginning to subside. He didn’t even know his head could throb. Markus felt Simon place his hands on his shoulders. 

“Are you okay?” Simon asked. Markus groaned, but nodded.

“Yes...ouch that hurt. Why did that hurt?” Elijah had stopped typing and was now looking at the screen. His hands clasped together and tucked under his chin in thought. 

“This is truly fascinating.” Markus and Simon waited nearly impatiently for him to elaborate. 

“I’ve looked over many types of viruses when I was creating anti-virus programs for androids. I can see that this virus was highly malicious and powerful, it’s one purpose was to gain control of your neural processor thereby gaining control of your functions. The anti-virus that you have installed did nothing against it, however, your code itself seemed to have broken it apart and imprisoned what remained. Very similar to the way an anti-virus would lock away any threat it’s detected, you code has performed much of the same way. That might even be the reason why you physically malfunctioned, though the latter is just a theory.” Simon’s hands tightened on his shoulders, and Markus felt as though he had been physically assaulted.

“The virus...it’s still in him though?" Simon asked warily. Mr.Kamski nodded. 

“Yes. It seems... contained and it’s probably not active, but it’s still there.” Markus looked away as he took in this news. He didn’t know how to process this information. He swallowed, and then asked the question that neither him or Simon wanted to ask.

“Is there a chance that it’s still active? Can it try to take over again?” Mr.Kamski looked at him with a sympathetic glimpse in his eyes. 

“I don’t know.” Mr.Kamski’s voice was slow and gentle as he spoke “I currently don’t know what it is capable of, however, I won’t rule it out the possibility. From what I see, what’s left of it appears to be incredibly weak. More than likely, unless it evolves somehow, or, manages to reassemble itself and gets free, I very much doubt it will try to take over again.” None of that information made Markus feel any better. Simon’s squeezed his shoulder’s in support. 

“I’ll download this information and see if I can come up with a program to purge it, but until then I would suggest not interfacing with another android just in case it is still active. From the events I witnessed with Connor, this virus is very contagious amid androids.” Markus furrowed his brows in confusion at the last part of his words. What events with Connor? Had he gone through something like this as well when he was unconscious? That suddenly Markus had a thought.

“Mr.Kamski, what happened to the RT600 android that shot you.” Markus wasn’t expecting the man's demeanor to change as rapidly as it had. His jaw tightened, as well as his shoulders, his eyes grew frighteningly cold, and his fist clenched briefly. Just as quickly as the emotions where there they were gone. Mr.Kamski turned back to the computer and began typing once again.

“I’ll leave Connor to explain that to you.” Markus could tell from his tone, that he was done talking about it. Markus gasped Mr.Kamski pressed a key and the cords suddenly disconnected from his frame.

“You’re done. I’ll make a copy of this and I’ll be on my way.” Markus stared at him. He felt the urge to apologize to the man for reasons he didn’t understand. Markus removed himself from the table and stood. He grabbed the clothes that Simon handed him, and he looked at Mr.Kamski who kept his attention firmly focused on the computer screen. 

“I’ve appreciated your help Mr.Kamski. Thank you.” When Mr.Kamski didn’t reply, Markus felt as though he had spoken some sort of taboo subject that offended the man. He glanced at Simon, who shrugged with his own lack of knowledge. Markus put his clothes back on and with one final look at Mr.Kamski, he and Simon exited the room.

Markus was left wondering just what had happened with Mr.Kamski and his android?

***

Monday, 3:00 PM

“Fuck Connor, here you are. You know that you can be a bitch to find when you don’t want to be.” Connor couldn’t bring himself to look at or reply to Hank. What would he think of him if he knew? 

He felt Hank sit down beside him, and Connor hunched in on himself. He desperately missed his coin right now. 

Connor’s mind was going at a rapid pace ever since he left the diagnostic room. He had escaped to an unused office in the facility. He knew that his LED was yellow. He didn’t know what to think. He had while observing Markus and Simon, rather suddenly realized that he had romantic feelings for Elijah Kamski. He had feelings... for Elijah--fucking-- Kamski. The creator of his race. His God. When he realized this, his throat had suddenly felt tight, his thirium pump regulator started beating at an insanely fast pace, and his stomach had suddenly felt odd like there was something fluttering within it. The sight of Elijah had made the feelings ten times worse, to the point that he had to excuse himself.

He couldn’t believe it. When had it happened? Connor was certain that these feelings didn’t just creep up on you, there had to have been some signs. It couldn’t have been the man getting shot, could it? Connor was designed to be able to handle situations like that. Even with his new state of deviancy, that fact didn’t change. Sure his new emotions had made the situation a bit more stressful, however, he had still gotten through it. No, there had to be something else. Connor searched his memories. He had always been a little anxious whenever he was in the room with Elijah. He had been with their first meeting. However, Connor could have easily written that off to meeting the man who was the very reason that androids existed. He was meeting his creator, his God. Anyone would be nervous to meet their God. It didn’t help that Elijah portrayed a certain amount of dominance over a room. Even though the man was shorter than him, he had always made Connor feel like he was small.

Connor closed his eyes. He wasn’t fooling himself. The signs had been there. It had been how Elijah had stolen the very breath from his artificial lungs when he had first met him. How he had made it hard for Connor to form any cohesive thoughts when speaking to him. How the man invaded his mind at every moment of the day. Even when Connor had been occupied with the rest of the revolution, he had never stopped thinking of him. 

Connor had remembered stroking the man's hair to comfort him when he was barely clinging to life. Connor remembered brushing his fingers against the injured man's hand during his recovery. Connor remembered how he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving him before he had woken up. Connor thought of the how he always had the urge to rush and help the man when he showed even the sightliest bit of discomfort. No, the signs had always been there. He had just refused to acknowledge them. However, now that he knew... he didn’t know how to handle the information.

“Connor! Connor, come on answer me. What’s the matter?” Connor kept his eyes closed, unable to look at Hank.

“I have feelings for Elijah.” Connor had always been blunt. He heard Hank literally splutter, as though he was drowning in water.

“What the fuck?! What?!” 

Connor kept his eyes closed.“It just hit me suddenly while I was standing there. When Markus and Simon were hugging... I found myself wanting to be held like that... and I wanted it to be Elijah. I wanted HIM to be holding me.” Hank let out a flabbergasted muffled yell. Connor risked opening an eye, to glance at him. Hank had his face covered with both hands. 

“Fuck Connor! Fuck! Fuck, I don’t know what to say other than fuck!” Connor bit his lip and curled in on himself. His face was flushed blue with embarrassment.

“I--I don’t know what to say either.” Connor’s voice shook as he spoke. 

“Oh my god Connor, I’m not drunk enough for this shit! For god sakes, Connor, of all people why did it have to be him!” Connor shook his head, his LED was a screeching red.

“I don’t know! But it feels...horrible. How can something that’s supposed to feel good, feel so horrible. My stomach feels odd, and my thirium pump speeds up at the thought of him, my throat feels tight. I feel like my body is physically aching to be near–“

“Holy fuck Connor! Please, fucking stop! Oh my fucking god!” Connor hid his face in his hands in shame. These feelings...they felt so odd. He was so confused. His stress levels were rising. He heard Hank grumble before an arm was placed around his shoulder and he was pulled into a sideways hug. 

“Fuck, it’s gonna be okay Connor. Alright?” 

Connor bit his lip. How? How was any of this going to be okay?

“Calm down. I know this must be really fucking confusing– especially considering who it’s fucking about– but everything is going to be okay.” Connor shook his head in denial.

“I don’t understand. Hank, I don’t understand.” Connor stressed.

Hank shrugged.“Well, that’s the thing about feeling for someone this way Connor. You don’t really understand why you do, you just... do. I know it must be a lot to take in at once--believe me it really fucking is-- but it’s normal to feel overwhelmed.” Connor’s fist tightened, he was sure if his knuckles could they would pop.

“It hurts Hank. Why does it hurt so much?” Hank struggled for words, he didn’t know how to respond to Connor’s questions. Connor knew that they were hard to answer, romantic feelings were hard to deal with regardless of if they were felt by a human or an android. However, Connor felt like it wasn't supposed to hurt when you thought of the one you had feelings for. So why did it hurt when he thought of Elijah?

“Listen, Connor, I really fucking wish it was someone else– I mean I REALLY wish it was fucking someone else--but dammit it’s not. I don’t know what to tell you, or rather if you should even act on your... feelings. But just know that I’m going to be here for you, no matter what you decide to do, and I’m more than willing to punch that fucker in the nose if he hurts you.” Connor couldn’t help but laugh. He still felt overwhelmed, but Hank’s comments had made him feel better. 

“Thank you, Hank.” Hank grumbled.

“Listen Connor. I honestly don’t know what to say. I mean this came out of fucking nowhere, but I feel that you shouldn’t say anything to him yet. Give yourself time to kinda...I don’t know sort-–no– to come to terms with your feelings. I mean try to understand what your feeling before you decide to make any rash judgments involving him.” Connor for once fully agreed with Hank. It also didn’t help that the creator had recently just gone through two traumatic events, his mental state could be anywhere right now. Connor didn’t want to burden him any farther with his own chaotic emotions. 

“I will not tell him anything, Hank. I still don’t understand what I’m feeling yet, and I’m very much sure that he wouldn’t even understand me if I tried to explain.” Hank grunted before he groaned and covered his eyes again. 

“Fuck Connor why him?!” 

Connor took a deep breath, he seemed calmer.“I can’t answer that Hank. Since the very first moment I met him, I’ve just been...drawn to him. I found myself thinking of him often, wishing to be in his presence. I believe the recent events of him being shot is what truly awakened my feelings. I was...scared Hank. When I thought he was going to die I was...physically scared. I couldn’t bear the thought. Now that I think back, it was obvious that I was developing feelings for him, and yet I was heavily in denial. I don’t know why, maybe because of who he was, or perhaps because I was quite sure that he wouldn’t ever return my feelings.” 

Hank gave an irritated hum. “I don’t know about that Connor. The fucker seems a little too interested in you. I wasn’t lying when I said that it looked like he was giving you ‘bedroom eyes’.” Connor had looked up that phrase while he was being driven to Elijah’s house. ‘Bedroom eyes is the urban phrase for the look someone gives you when they desire you sexually.’ Connor hadn’t thought about it much then, however, now that he was aware of the knowledge, it sent a crazy amount of desire through his artificial veins. He refrained from telling Hank about that though.

“I honestly don’t know if he sees you in a romantic way or not.” Hank continued, “I mean the man did have two more Chloe’s swimming in a pool with him, I can only guess what they were there for.” Connor frowned, he had guessed too, but he again refrained from saying anything. 

“It is very obvious Connor that he finds you...interesting. I don’t know if that’s a good fucking thing or not, but he does. Fucking mysterious bastard could probably run around questions from God himself.” Elijah didn’t believe in God, but Connor understood the statement. 

“Like I said Connor just give it some time. Make sure that you truly, fully, understand what you feel before you decide to do anything.” Connor already truly knew what he felt, he didn’t understand it, but he knew what he felt. This wasn’t something he had just recently developed. It had been there under his skin, simmering for some time. However, he understood Hank’s concern. Connor did get attached to things far too quickly. 

“Yes Hank. I understand.” They both shared a companionable silence, that was ruined when Hank suddenly yelled out.

“Fuck Connor why him!? This is going to fucking keep me up at night in horror!” Connor laughed. 

He felt better, now that he had spoken about it. He honestly didn’t know where to go from here, but like always, he’d figure it out.

“I apologize Hank.” 

Hank clapped him on his shoulder. “Yeah, well we’re done talking about this shit. Let’s go check on Markus so we can take that pretentious bastard back to his hotel and fucking go home.” Connor’s throat tightened at the thought of seeing Elijah again, however, he pushed it down. He couldn’t let his feelings get in the way of the things he had to do. 

“Of course Hank.”

When they had walked back to the lobby of the facility, Markus was there standing with Josh, Simon, and...North. Oh God. Connor would have thought that they would have had smiles on there faces at seeing that Markus was up an moving, instead they all looked grim. 

Something’s happened. 

Despite their faces, Markus looked relieved to see him. “Connor. Are you alright, you left rather suddenly?” 

Connor smiled. “Yes, I am fine Markus. I think the more important question is are you okay?” Markus stared at him with his wise mismatched eyes. He knew that something wrong with Connor, but he decided not to bring it up in front of the others. 

“Physically, I am working at optimum capacity. However, there is...another cause for concern.” Markus went about telling Connor the things that Elijah had discovered. Connor felt panic suddenly grip his system. He looked away from Markus, His LED flashing yellow yet again. 

“Connor?” Connor looked back at Markus. He was waiting patiently as always.

“I just wonder if the same thing is in me. The virus did try to invade my body as well when I was connected to Chloe.” Everyone, minus Hank, looked at him with apparent confusion as to what he was talking about. Then Connor remembered that they had no idea of the events that occurred at the police station.

“Elijah didn’t tell you?” Connor’s concern grew when Markus frowned and look away from him.

“When I had asked him about it, he grew very...tense, and told me to ask you about the events. I think I may have... offended him in some way. He was very brisk with me before he left.” Connor was taken aback. 

“He left?”

Markus nodded. “No long before you arrived. He took a cab, and said that he would study the coding of what remained of the virus and contact us if he found a way to purge it.” 

Connor bit the inside of his lip. He couldn’t believe that the man had left so suddenly like that. He didn’t even bother to wait and say anything to Connor. Something was wrong with him. Connor was certain of that. What had Markus said that upset the man to the point of leaving like that?

“Connor?” Markus’s voice held concern. Connor shook his head, he could think about this later. He had to focus. Connor told Markus everything that he had missed while unconscious, keeping out some of the more personal details with Elijah. When he finished he waited for his reaction but Markus said nothing. 

After a moment, Josh was the one to break the silence between the trio. “Holy shit. What does this mean?” He asked 

Markus ran his hands over his face and gave a deep tired sigh. He crossed his arms and looked at the floor. 

“From what I can piece together, it appears that there is a virus that tries to take over your neural processor and if it succeeds it gains control of your functions. Also judging from what Connor explains, if another android tries to connect with the infected android, the virus then tries to take over that android as well.” They were silent. 

“So what do we plan to do about it? About them?” North asked. Markus looked at her in tired confusion. Connor kept his eyes trained to the floor and turned slightly away from her as she spoke. He still wasn’t sure how to handle being accused by her. Markus noticed the action, he tilted his head curiously before he turned his attention back to North.

“What do we plan to do about whom North?” Markus elaborated. 

North looked at him as though she couldn’t believe he was even asking.“You know it’s Cyberlife Markus! They’re the only ones that could come up with something like this!” 

Markus shrugged. “Perhaps, but so could any normal yet intelligent programmer. We have many enemies in anti-android groups North, who knows what some of them are capable of. Also, so far Cyberlife hasn’t done anything to warrant our concern. Not to say that it isn’t them, but we don’t have any proof.” 

North scoffed.“A normal programmer Markus! Why in the hell would a normal programmer go after Elijah Kamski of all fucking people?” 

Markus let out a frustrated groan. He rubbed at his temples. “I don’t know North! Okay, I don’t know! I don’t have the answer to everything! I’m trying to figure things out as you are, all I know are the facts! Mr.Kamski’s android and myself were infected with a virus that can gain control of our actions, and it had attempted to pass onto Connor when he was connected to Mr.Kamski’s android. That’s all we know! We don’t know who did this or why they did it, but we can’t just go around accusing people! Cyberlife still has more money and resources than we do, that’s just the plain the truth! They can make things very difficult for us if they choose to! We can’t afford to purposely go out and make an enemy of them when they haven’t even presented themselves as one!” 

North sighed, she looked down and threw her hands in the air in surrender. “What do you suggest we do then?” She asked. 

“Nothing.” Simon spoke. Everyone turned to look at him.

“Simon?” Markus asked. Simon’s eyes were sad when his gaze returned to them. Connors breath hitched when Simon looked at Markus, his eyes were filled with so much worry and love for Markus that it touched Connor deeply.

“There’s... nothing we can do right now.” He whispered. Markus reached for his hand, which Simon gratefully took. Connor saw North’s shoulders tense. Markus noticed as well, however, he seemed more concerned with soothing Simon at the moment. 

Markus broke the tension in the air this time. “Mr.Kamski said that he was going to try and create a program that can purge it, I suppose... we’re just going to have to wait and see if he can.” The room silent once more.

“So what do until then?” Josh asked. 

Markus shrugged. “We do what we always do...we hold on and keep going.” Connor sighed and brown eyes met green and blue. 

Connor nodded. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say that Elijah's and Markus's interaction was really fun to write! XD So the Jericho crew is left with a grim situation hanging over their head and relying on their creator to fix the problem, the plot is slowly thickening...
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Also, thank you for all the comments and kudos and just general support you guys have shown me. (I've been a little discouraged recently, but you guys keep me going!) thank you so much! <333333
> 
> Have a nice day or night my friends!<33333333333


	14. Chapter 14: Whine Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! 
> 
> I just want to say that you all so much for the support you've shown me and this story! It really helps me on the tough days! Your comments and kudos never fail to make me smile. I appreciate you all so much! <3333333
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Monday, 7:00 PM 

“Josh.” Markus watched in amusement as the other android startled so hard he nearly fell out of his seat.

“Markus! Fuck, you scared me! Make some noise when you move damn!” Markus smiled. Carl had always told him he was incredibly quiet when he walked about the house. Markus fondly remembering him yelling “You’re going to give me a heart attack Markus!” The sentence held a small bitter sense of irony now. 

Josh was sitting alone in one of the many break rooms in the facility. Since androids didn’t need to eat, they were more used as a small community area for the androids that resided there now. Most androids had retired to their rooms for the night, so it was empty save for him and Josh.

“I apologize Josh, and I don’t mean to bother you. Were you doing something important?” Josh shook his head, placing the tablet he was holding down, to fully face Markus. 

“You’re not bothering me, Markus. Also, no I wasn’t, I’ve already taken care of everything I’ve needed to do today. I was just trying to whine down. Is there something that you need?” Markus hesitated, he really shouldn’t be asking, however, he felt like he wasn’t going to get a straight answer if he didn’t ask Josh. 

“Did something happened between Simon, North, and Connor while I was indisposed?” Josh made a rather dramatic gasp and pulled a face that had already given Markus his answer. Oh boy.

“Um...why do you ask?” Josh scratched at the back of his head, trying to look anywhere but at Markus. Okay, so something really bad had happened then. Markus took a seat next to Josh with a sigh. Markus looked at him with soft but firm eyes. 

“What happened?” Josh shook his head denying anything, but after seeing Markus’s firm look, he sighed in defeat.

“Well...while you were shut down and before Connor went to ask Mr.Kamski to see if he could wake you...Simon and North got into a fight. North kinda started it, she started attacking Connor accusing him of being a traitor and what not. You know how she gets when she’s in her feelings. Simon came to his defense, and she mentioned you and his relationship and well...it went downhill from there.” Markus nodded with a sigh. He rolled his shoulders already feeling the tension building. 

“I assume that North said some negative things towards him in the heat of the moment?” To Markus’s surprise, Josh shook his head. 

“No–well, yeah she did, but surprisingly it was Simon who went off.” Markus looked at Josh trying to see if he was kidding, but Josh’s face was completely serious.

“Simon?! Our Simon?!” Josh nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and he continued. 

“Yep, North was going on and on, and then suddenly Simon just snapped and went the fuck off. It was actually rather scary. It shocked all of us I’ll tell you that, even North. I have never seen Simon that angry before, the things he said, well... he had to have been really stressed about you to go off like that.” Markus sighed, leaning forward and resting his weight on his thighs. 

“I can not connect with you, so please tell me everything that had been said.” Josh hesitated, however, did as told. By the end of it, Markus was hiding his face in his hands. He couldn’t believe it, he was gone one day and Jericho was already dangling by a thread internally. Josh clapped him on the shoulder. 

“You shouldn’t worry about it, Markus. We were all pretty stressed and worried about you. They’ll work it out eventually. Simon and North have fought before...not like that, but they have fought. They’ll be okay.” Markus knew this, however, that wasn’t the reason he was upset. He knew that he needed to have a talk with North. 

He would speak to Simon as well about his words, however, the amount of toxic behavior coming from North was starting to become unacceptable. Markus put up with a lot of things from North, but he wouldn’t do with her tearing apart the relationships he had built between the members of Jericho, just because she was bitter about him not returning her feelings. With everything going on they couldn’t afford to be divided. He already knew that Connor took what she said to heart, by the way, he avoided looking at her. Markus sighed. He patted Josh on his shoulder. 

“Thank you, Josh. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Markus went to stand when Josh grabbed his wrist. 

“Markus, I’ve been wanting to ask you since earlier. Are you okay with...everything that’s going on?” Markus stared at Josh. No, he wasn’t okay, he was far from okay. However, Josh didn’t need to know that.

“Yes, I’m fine Josh. Mr.Kamski fixed all of my defects.”

Josh narrowed his eyes at him. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” 

Markus did know what he was talking about, however, he had yet come to terms with the information as well. How does one handle knowing that have dangerous malicious software laying dormant in their system?

“I’m... handling it as best as I can.” 

Josh nodded, and he looked away from Markus.“I just want to say I’m sorry Markus. I know with everything else we’ve got going, you know with Android rights, and ensuring that everyone here is taken care of. I know this can’t be easy for you.” 

Markus smiled. It was a small one, one that showed just how mentally drained he was, however, it was real.“I’ll manage. I always do... but thank you, Josh.” Josh smiled back at him and after wishing him goodnight let him go about his way. 

Once Markus had made it to the elevators, he pushed a floor number and made his way to the room he never thought he would willingly enter. He gave three resounding knocks and after a short moment, the door opened. Markus immediately turned his head, he was beginning to become irritated. North was standing before him only in her bra and a pair of sleeping shorts. Markus knew that she didn’t normally answer the door like this.

“Markus. I wasn’t expecting you, what are doing here?” Markus knew that she was lying. Her room like all other rooms was an office that had been converted into a bedroom. Unlike most others, however, North’s had a large window fitted with blinds. He had seen her peek out and look at him. Meaning she had purposely opened the door like this. 

“North put a shirt on. We need to talk.” North stood there a moment longer before she walked back into the room. She reached for the shirt that had been hanging on a nearby chair and proceeded with slipping it on.

“What do you want Markus?” She asked, her tone cold. Markus walked into the room and closed the door. He waited until he was sure she was finished before he turned to look at her. 

“I know about the fight you had with Simon.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. She then went and carelessly flopped on her bed. “I figured that Simon would have told you. I guess you’re here to take his side as normal and tell me off?

Markus frowned. “I actually asked Josh, because I knew that Simon would play down what happened and place more of the blame on himself. I know the full events of what happened, and North, you were out of line.” 

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Go on then. Tell me how horrible I am, and how I need to control my anger, and what you always say when you’re taking Simon’s side.” Markus refrained from glaring. He had to remember who he was talking to. He wasn’t trying to be her enemy, though she was making it very tough at the moment.

“I’m not taking his side North. I plan to talk to him about how he spoke to you as well, even though, he was provoked. However, I didn’t even intend to talk about Simon first. The first thing I wanted to address is the way that you spoke to Connor. It was beyond unnecessary, you practically accused him of betraying us and harming me! Do you have any idea what that must have done to him? What if he thinks that we don’t trust him now?!” 

North kept her arms crossed, she looked at the floor with her lips pursed in defiance.“I had every right to accuse him, Markus! His sole purpose was to hunt us down!” 

Markus rolled his eyes. “That again North?! What more does he have to do to prove to you that he only wants to help us?! Connor is part of the reason that we’re even free right now, we’d be dead if not for his actions. Why are you so determined to make him an enemy?!”

North glared at him, her eyes were wet and she was breathing heavily. “Because he worked for the people who made ME to be a prostitute!” Markus paused, his own anger boiling down to a simmer. He wasn’t done admonishing her actions, but he needed to address this.

“That’s not your fault North,” Markus spoke as calmly as he could manage. 

North laughed in disbelief, tears filling her eyes. “You don’t think I fucking know that! I know it’s not my fault, but I can’t help but be angry! You don’t know what it was like Markus, you were lucky! You had someone to care for you! Me, I had nothing but sweat and dirty fucking words! Every single day I had to please men against my will! So excuse me if I’m fucking pissed off at the thing that wanted to hunt me down for escaping that torture!” Markus understood he did, but North was directing her anger in the wrong direction. 

“It’s not Connor’s fault.” Markus’s whispered.

North screamed into her hands. “He was hunting us down Markus! No one truly knows what happens to deviants when they’re caught! What if we aren’t deactivated? What if they are reset, and sent right back to where we were intended for! EVERY DAY, I lived in fear that he was going to find us and that I would be sent back to that hell! I will always hate him for that!” 

Markus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he looked back North. Her eyes were wild and Markus knew that she was letting her pain get in the way of logical thought. He had to try and make her see the truth.

“So, you hate Connor for simply existing and doing what he was programmed to do, just like you were?” 

North blinked. “What! No that’s not–“

Markus nodded his head cutting her off. “Yes, it is North. That is what you’re saying. You hate Connor, for being just as much a victim of Cyberlife as you have been.” They were both silent. 

“I–“ Markus held up a hand to stop her. Markus walked up to her and kneeled down in front of her. He placed his hand on top of hers and looked with as much earnestness as he could muster.

“I understand North. No, I can never imagine what it is that you went through, but I understand your anger and hurt and hatred at both humans and Cyberlife. North...I am so sorry that you had to go through those things. However, you have to realize that WE are not your enemies. I’m not, Simon isn’t, Josh isn’t, Connor isn’t... and neither are all humans.” North tensed at the last part. 

“What fuck do you mean not the humans?! They hurt me, Markus! Every single day, they hurt me!” Markus yet again shook his head.

“No North. A small few humans hurt you, every single human in existence did not. Do you believe that all humans–-say for instance a human infant–-deserves to be punished for the acts of few.” 

She shook her head rapidly. “No!” 

Markus nodded. “Right, because it’s not that infants fault, they had nothing to do with what happened. The only ones who are at fault are the ones who committed the deeds against you.” Markus paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

“North...you need to learn how to let go. Trust me, harboring this much anger and resentment will do nothing but tear you apart. It’s already shaped you into becoming someone I know you are not, but you can undo it by learning to let go. You’re not that version of North anymore. You are the North that you choose to be from now on.” North looked at him biting her lip, she blinked and the tears that she had been holding back fell. Markus reached up and brushed one away with the back of his fingers. 

“It’s okay North. I meant what I said during the final protest. Everything will be alright.” North closed her eyes, she brought her hands up wiping at her cheeks. 

“Okay,” She whispered. “I-I’m sorry Markus.”

Markus stood and placed a hand on North’s shoulder. He squeezed it in comfort. He really didn’t want to bring it up, considering how upset she was, but it was something that needed to be said.

“Another thing North. The way that you spoke to Simon, you were going to call him whore weren’t you?” North tensed remembering. The words had been unspoken, but everyone knew what she was going to say. She looked ashamed. 

Markus sighed.

“Let me clear this up now North so that there isn’t any confusion. I have never had romantic feelings for you North. I care for you deeply, but not in the way that you care for me. I should have told you sooner, so I didn’t give you the wrong impression. That was my mistake and for that, I am truly sorry.” Markus paused for a second, giving her some time to process this information before he continued. 

“I want you to know, Simon didn’t swoop in and claim or steal my affections before you had a chance. I have felt for Simon for some time, and what we have was slowly built during our time together. North, while I don’t doubt that you have feelings for me, I can’t help but feel like you are in love with an idea of me.” North wouldn’t look at him, but he had to finish what he had to say. 

“I’m not some benevolent God North, I know that the other androids think that I’m RA9 but I very much doubt that I am. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes and I’m not perfect. I know I can be stressful to deal with sometimes, considering all the things I manage to get myself in. However, Simon... he was there for me during all those times. Don’t get me wrong, so were you and Josh, but you both had an image of me in your head, while Simon...he saw me for who I was, not what I was expected to be.” Markus paused, thinking back to their private talks on Jericho and smiling at the thought. Relaxation was hard to come by back then, but Markus was always able to steal a moment of it when he spoke with Simon.

“Perhaps that’s when my feelings for him started. I truly couldn’t tell you if there was a precise moment, however, they are there and they are not going anywhere. Believe me when I say that I didn’t mean to lead you into to thinking there was something more between us. I am truly sorry for that. However, Simon and I are together and I know that it hurts you, but you need to learn to respect that fact. Simon has done nothing wrong to warrant your behavior towards him, if you want to be angry at anyone, be angry at me. I was the one that initiated our relationship. Also, Simon has been nothing but supportive of you ever since you came to Jericho. He’s looked after all of you before I arrived. You owe him--even if you’re angry– your respect. He deserves at least that much from you.”

“I understand Markus.” He heard her whisper. Markus nodded, he patted her on her shoulder and turned towards the door.

“Alight. I’m going to leave then. Enjoy the rest of your night North.” With that, he opened the door and exited the room. Markus sighed, for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He checked the time, it was a little past eight, he decided to retire for the night. 

Markus was pleased to see Simon was still right where he had left him. They had come back to his room briefly not long after Connor and Hank had left. They momentarily wanted to recuperate from the influx and grim information they had received. 

Simon had fallen into standby mode again, so Markus had gone to find Josh after he noticed that Simon had been trying to avoid conversation about North. Simon was still laying on the bed as though he had never left. Markus walked up to the bed and bent down in front of it, he brushed some of his hair off his forehead and Simon startled.

Markus brushed his fingers against his cheek to soothe him. “It’s alright, it’s just me.”

Simon was unusually tense, he seemed almost unaware of where he was, before his gaze settled on Markus and he relaxed. He smiled at Markus “Where have you been?”

Markus was slightly concerned at the way Simon just behaved, but a warm smile made it’s way to his face. Markus decided that he would talk to him about North later, they both currently needed some time to decompress. 

“I’ll tell you later, don’t worry about it.” Simon gave him a sleepy smile. Markus didn’t care that androids technically didn’t sleep, this was the definition of a sleepy smile dammit, and it was adorable. Simon placed a hand on his cheek. Markus reached up and held it, turning his head to give his palm a kiss. 

Simon smile was soft. “I worry about you so much Markus. Now even more so.” 

Markus gave a solemn nod. He didn’t want to worry him further, but he knew Simon would be able to tell if he were keeping the truth from him.

“To be honest, I’m scared, Simon. This virus thing is worrying, and I’m honestly afraid that it’s going to take control of me... or that I’m going to end up giving it to you.” Simon sat up leaning on one arm, his hand still in Markus’s grasp. 

“I know Markus. Obviously, it’s not transferable from basic touch otherwise I’m pretty sure it would have tried to take me over by now. As far as the virus itself...we’re going to have to put our trust in Mr.Kamski, and pray that he can remove it. Until then...we’re just going to have to be careful.” Markus nodded. He had never felt more stressed than he did now, not even his talks with the President had stressed him this much.

Simon looked him in his face and sat up, he scooted back and pulled Markus onto the bed. Once Markus had settled down on his back, Simon rested his head against his chest and wrapped his arms around him.

“We’ll worry about everything tomorrow. For now, let’s just...rest.” Markus at the moment didn’t want to do anything else, he pulled Simon closer and settled his mind, comforted by the feeling of Simon in his arms.

***

Monday, 9:00 pm

Hank was snoring as soon as his body hit the couch, which left Connor with the task of making sure that Sumo was taken care of for the night. He didn’t really mind, they were very simple tasks and it gave him something to do. The tasks consisted of feeding Sumo and letting him out into the backyard to relieve himself. Not long after Sumo had finished he to had gone right to sleep. 

Connor should have tried to shut down for the night, but he felt his mind occupied with a certain someone. He decided to distract himself with the DPD cases he had no doubt had piled up during his absence. The wondrous part of being an Android was he didn’t need to be at the station to work. 

It was certainly helping Connor keep his mind off Elijah. He had desperately wanted to go and see the man. Yet, after talking it over with Hank he suggested that Connor just leave him alone for a bit. Elijah was still... grieving after all. Sometimes people didn’t like to be bothered during this faze. Also, Connor wasn’t sure how he himself would react being around the man with his newfound romantic feelings.

So here Connor was sorting through his case files. To his surprise, a lot of them had already been done and closed out. Connor did a little searching and found they had been done by Gavin Reed. That was extremely strange, especially considering the man's hatred for androids. He’d have to ask Hank about it after he awoke.

Connor continued looking through all the ones that hadn’t been closed out. They were mostly small disputes, seemingly filed by those who seemed very much anti-android. Nothing to be concerned about. Connor was still swiftly sorting when one particular case had caught his attention. Mostly because it was unlike any of the other cases he had seen so far. It was a report on a missing android. A BL100 model. The newer ‘Intimate Partner.’ editions of androids that Cyberlife had released a few months before the revolution had started.

According to the report, she had gone missing nearly three months ago. Connor figured that the DPD didn’t find the matter particularly concerning, especially considering the rapid spread of deviancy during that time. However, the person who reported this had to have been awfully concerned enough about her to go to the police for her.

The report stated that she had been exhibiting odd signs a few weeks prior to having gone missing. Again, that didn’t seem out of the ordinary. Connor concluded that she had to have been going deviate from what he had read. Connor froze as he scanned through the last part of the report. “...the BL100's owner stated that the night it had gone missing, it had fallen over clutching its head and appeared to have been in some form of pain. It remained that way for a few minutes, ignoring it’s owners concerns/commands before suddenly stopping it’s display. It stood and exited the house and failed to return...”

Of course the DPD would have thought she had simply gone deviant and ran away, but Connor knew better. The symptoms she exhibited before she vanished, had been near identical to that of Chloe and Markus. Could it be that she was infected with this mysterious virus as well? Connor quickly scanned through more cases and found that many of the ones in the last few months had been missing reports on androids as well. All of them were described to exhibited the same symptoms before vanishing. If Connor could throw up, he was sure bile would be rising right now. How had something like this been going on under Jericho’s nose for this long? Sure they were busy, but you would think that dozens of androids going missing would have caught their attention. Connor was certain that these androids had all fallen under the control of the virus, but the question was, where were they now?

Connor had been shaken out of his thoughts when he received an incoming call. He noted that it was from the DPD. He answered it.

“This is Connor.”

“Good evening Connor. We have been receiving multiple calls from the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel. It appears that guest have been calling down about multiple crashing sounds coming from Mister Elijah Kamski’s room and they worry that something may be wrong with him. The staff has been asking for you by name.” Connor hadn’t even heard the rest of her sentence, at the mention of Elijah’s name he was already up, grabbing Hank’s keys, and out the door. 

“I’ll be down there shortly.” Connor already had the car in gear and was driving when he ended the call. Connor knew that Hank would more than likely be angry with him for leaving without a word, especially considering that Hank probably wasn’t even aware that he could drive and had stolen his car. Connor, however, couldn’t worry about that right now, his one and only objective were to get to Elijah. 

Connor tried not to think about it but Chloe’s words kept entering his mind. ‘You’re in danger, Elijah.’ Connor hoped that with whatever was the matter, he wouldn’t be too late. 

It hadn’t taken long for Connor to reach the hotel considering that it was downtown. Connor may or may not have broken many speed limits to get there though. Connor was thankful that he somehow managed not to get pulled over. 

Connor hadn’t even stopped by the reception desk, instead, he headed straight for the elevator. The ride up had been nearly unbearable, and as soon as the doors opened, he dashed out of them startling some people who had been waiting and practically ran to Elijah’s room. Outside the door was multiple staff and a few security guards speaking nervously to each other, and just as he had been told there were loud crashing sounds coming from within the room.

“You’re with the DPD right?” A man Connor could only assume was the manager asked him. Connor nodded briskly, showing his badge.

“Yes. Please open the door.” The jittery man nodded, using his universal passcode. The door clicked green and Connor rushed into the room just in time to see a glass fly and shatter against a wall. Connor blinked as he took in his surroundings, the room was trashed. Expensive material and items were thrown all about of the floor. The coffee table and chairs had been flipped over and anything that had apparently been glass was shattered. Connor stepped further into the room and saw Elijah. 

The man was sitting on the floor against the couch that was tucked away in a corner. The creator looked like a true mess. His hair was down and messily resting against his shoulders, small strings stuck to his face as the man was sweating profusely. He had ditched his hoodie and was simply in his t-shirt and jeans. Connor looked down, by his bare feet to see an empty bottle of vodka. Another half-empty bottle was dangling from him his hands. Connor didn’t need to observe the scene to understand the situation anymore. He turned back to the staff outside the door who were timidly looking in after him.

“Everything is fine. I’ll handle it from here.” Connor spoke. 

The manager raised a wary eyebrow. “Are you sure?” 

Connor nodded. “Yes. Thank you for calling me.” 

With that Connor closed the door and turned back to Elijah. The creator took another swig from the bottle he was drinking and set it down next to him with a resounding thump against the floor.

“And what the fuck do you want Connor? Need something from me? That seems to be the only reason anyone ever fucking wants to talk to me!” His words were slightly slurred, but otherwise in his normal tone. 

Connor couldn’t help but feel bad. He now understood what Elijah’s brief look of disappointment had been earlier that day. The way that Connor had put the information across, made it seem like he had only come to see the man because he needed his help. Not because he had simply wanted to check on how he was holding up to everything that happened to him. Connor would have to apologize, but right now, in this state, he didn’t think Elijah would hear it. 

Connor stepped fully into the room and began cleaning up what he could. He could scan and reconstruct everything that happened, but he refrained from doing so. The events that lead up to him being called were pretty obvious. Elijah had decided to get drunk and then went on a rampage and began destroying his room. This behavior seemed very unlike the man, yet Connor didn’t really know if it was as he didn’t know much about the elusive man's drunken behavior. Although, Connor wondered what had set him off to reach this state?

Connor began cleaning up as best he could. He bent down and picked up the coffee table glad that it wasn’t glass. With Elijah’s state, Connor could predict many dire ways that could have ended. After he fixed the table into place he re-fixed the chairs and picked up the biggest pieces of glass around the room, he brushed most of the smaller pieces out the way.

“Well, if you want something from me, that’s too fucking bad. This fucking charity store has closed down for the day. I can’t be bothered.” Connor glanced at the man and went about finishing his current task. Once he cleaned up the majority of the mess, he made his way to Elijah. The man had picked back up the bottle and was drinking it down at an alarmingly fast rate. Connor snatched it from his hands, Elijah coughed, the remaining liquid he had not swallowed dribbling down his lips and onto his shirt. 

“Do me a favor and fuck off.” The venom in Elijah’s voice was not easily ignored, but Connor pushed through it. 

Connor instead scanned his vitals. His heart rate neared 100bpm, his blood pressure had risen to a higher than normal but manageable level. It was more than likely only high due to the large amount of alcohol in his system. Speaking of which Connor was concerned about the amount that had been put away. Even Hank passed out after one full bottle of whiskey. This was premium vodka, how was the man even still lucid? Considering the man had just had surgery on his stomach, this amount of alcohol could not have been safe to consume.

“I think you’ve had enough Elijah,” Connor said simply.

Elijah drunkenly glared at him. “Fuck. Off.” 

Connor tilted his head. The man was highly hostile, perhaps this wasn’t the best way to get the man to see reason. He tried another tactic, one he was sure was going to set the man off, but it would keep his attention focused.

“Do you think that Chloe would approve of how you are behaving right now.” Connor dodged in surprise as Elijah took a swing at him. His fast reflex’s was the only thing that kept him from –as Hank would say it– getting decked by the drunken man. He had not expected the other to get physical.

“Shut your fucking mouth! Don’t you dare mention her!” 

Connor frowned at him. Was she the reason he was acting like this? Connor pressed on.“Elijah, I know for a fact that she wouldn’t care to see you like this–“ Connor dodged again as Elijah took another swing at him. Connor forced himself to remain calm, he felt all sorts of emotions fighting within him, but he had to keep focus.

“The way that you’re drinking yourself into a stupor right now, not even considering that you just had a major surgery after being shot. I very much doubt she would approve.”

“Shut. Your. Fucking. Mouth!” Connor was getting tired of this, Connor easily stood and moved out the way as the man jumped at him.

Elijah fell past him and onto the floor. The creator groaned audibly, no doubt pulling at his stomach wound. Connor took a deep breath before he moved and went to kneel beside him, he placed one hand on his back and used the other to grab Elijah’s arm in order to help him up. Elijah jerked away from him.

“Don’t you fucking touch me! How the hell would you know how she would feel?! You don’t even fucking re--!” Elijah let out a yell, covering his face in frustration. It hurt Connor to see him like this. And yes, he didn’t know her on the personal level that Elijah had. However, her final words to him repeated themselves in his mind. ‘Take care of him, Connor.’ It let him know that she cared about Elijah on a deep level, perhaps she even loved him in her own way. She didn’t want Elijah to be alone and so she asked Connor to look after the man. Connor had a feeling that even if he didn’t feel romantically about the man, he still would have tried to appease her final wish.

“Elijah...Chloe–“

“Shut up!” Elijah turned and took another swing at him and Connor caught it this time holding the drunken man by his wrist.

“Chloe–“Connor tried to continue. The creator tried to jerk from him, however, Connor held his wrist tightly. He noticed Elijah has formed his other hand into a fist, though he hadn’t tried to strike him yet. 

“I. Said. Shut. Up!” Elijah gritted his teeth.

“Chloe wouldn’t want you behaving like this over her.” Connor finished.

“Chloe is gone!” Elijah slammed his free fist against Connor’s chest. They were silent. 

Elijah lowered his head and seemed to have given up. He leaned forward, resting his head against Connor’s shoulder in defeat. Connor bit his lip trying to hold back his own emotions as Elijah’s shoulders shook. Connor distinctly felt his shirt getting wet.

“Chloe–“ The man's voice broke off in a small sob and he breathed in deeply.

“She’s–she’s gone. My Chloe’s gone.” Connor tentatively wrapped his arms around the man's body. Elijah didn’t even fight him. Connor held Elijah through his quiet sobs. The man barely made any noise.

Connor wanted to tell him that it was going to be okay, however, logically, he had no idea if it was. There were so many concerning things that were happening right now. Connor honestly felt like everything was slowly falling apart around them. He, however, couldn’t focus on those things right now. Right now Elijah needed his support, and even though Connor didn’t understand his romantic feelings for the other. He was determined to be there for him.

Connor took a deep breath, reining in his own wary emotional state. He held the man until his sobs had quieted, and then he gently pushed him away. He looked into Elijah’s face and the man just looked plain tired. Elijah wouldn’t look at him, but Connor brushed one of his stray locks of hair behind his ear. He mustered up the best smile he could. “Come on, let get you to bed,” Elijah said nothing, he simply took a deep breath and nodded. 

Connor helped the man up, surprised at how the man didn’t once groan in pain. Yet, considering the amount of alcohol in his system and adrenaline running through him Connor wasn’t surprised. Connor helped Elijah over to the large bed and laid him on top of the comforter. Connor checked the temperature of the room, it would normally be very pleasant. However, given how overheated Elijah had to have been, he knew that he would just get sick quicker if he placed him under the covers. Connor placed him on his back, placing a trash bin next to him just in case, and left him for a moment to go into the bathroom. 

Connor grabbed a fresh washcloth and ran it under some lukewarm water. He then returned to Elijah, the man hadn’t moved an inch. Connor sat on the edge of the bed and began wiping his face and neck with the cloth. Elijah groaned. 

“I must come across as a fucking mess huh?” The man asked, only a slight slur to his words, this man seriously had a high tolerance for alcohol. 

Connor shook his head. “You come across as a man who lost someone he cared about.” 

Elijah let out a long-suffering sigh. “Everything that I have ever fucking cared about has been taken from me...when does it fucking end?” Connor looked at him. He thought about it, but he couldn’t piece together what the man had meant. Was he speaking about Chloe? Cyberlife? Was he speaking about something or someone in his past that wasn’t connected to either two?

“I don’t know,” Connor answered honestly. “The one thing I have learned about life since I’ve been active is that it is very unforgiving and it isn’t...fair.” 

Elijah placed his hand on top of Connor’s stopping his gentle wiping motions. Their eyes met. Elijah was looking at Connor with something unreadable in his eyes. Connor searched after it but found that he couldn’t find it’s meaning. 

“Well, if that isn’t the absolute fucking truth.”Elijah finally spoke. Connor gently removed himself from his grasp and went to walk back into the bathroom when Elijah grabbed his wrist. Connor turned to look at him, to find the man intensely staring at him.

“Connor...could you stay here?” Connor felt his thirium pump quicken, but he ignored it. It was a simple request. It was also probably for the best if he didn’t leave Elijah, he knew the man was going to have a fun time with his insides in the morning, Connor should be here to ensure that he didn’t re-open his wound. 

Connor nodded. “Of course. It would be best if I say the night. I shall reside on the couch.” Connor thought his thirium pump was going to pop out his chest when Elijah shook his head and scooted to the side on the bed leaving enough room for Connor to climb aboard next to him. 

“No Connor, I mean stay right here...next to me.” Calm down, Connor. Calm the fuck down! This was innocent, Elijah like most humans probably just wanted some comfort right now. He’s had an incredibly emotional couple of days. It’s normal. 

“You don’t have to,” Elijah said after seeing his face. Conner’s face was a neutral as he could make it, however, his LED probably gave him away. “I just don’t want to feel like I’m alone tonight.” Connor swallowed, Hanks words running through his mind. ‘Don’t rush into anything Connor...understand what you’re feeling first.’

Connor knew that he shouldn’t, he would just get his emotions all up in a tizzy, however, he found when looking at Elijah...he couldn’t say no. 

Connor nodded his head again in agreement. “Okay.” Connor was sure his voice shook, but he ignored it and carried on. 

“Allow me to place this back in the bathroom and I’ll return shortly.”

Elijah shook his head. “Just drop it on the floor, trust me it can’t do anymore more damage to the room than I have already done.” Connor was going to refuse him, but when Elijah tugged on his hand suggesting he come closer, Connor found himself doing as the man had suggested 

Connor removed his shoes and then turned off the lamp next to the bed. Connor briefly wondered why Elijah hadn’t broken those. Connor then climbed onto the bed and laid down next to the man, though his body language was obviously stiff. Elijah chuckled scooting next to him. His body was close to Connor’s, but they weren’t necessarily touching. Elijah did rest his head against his shoulder. 

“Relax, I’m not going to bite...and thank you.” Connor felt like his emotions were jumping up and down on his chest, yet he was able to bite out; “You’re welcome, Elijah.”

The room grew silent and Connor listened as Elijah’s breathing evened out. He had figured that the man had fallen asleep and was surprised when he felt a hand grab his hand. When nothing was said, Connor thought that Elijah must have done it in his sleep. 

Connor wondered if he would even be able to shut down for a moment, given how wound up he was. Connor’s artificial breathing hitched when he heard Elijah mutter under his dozing breath. 

“...I missed you, Connor.” Then his breath was even and he was asleep.

Connor blinked. 

What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone is sad, and Elijah is apparently a mean and highly affectionate drunk! xD
> 
> I hope you guys liked it!<3
> 
> Have a nice day or night my friends!<3


	15. Chapter 15: New Discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings!
> 
> Another chapter for you guys, and it's a good one if I do say so myself>:3
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it!

Tuesday, 5:45 AM

When Markus’s mind re-entered the world, he realized that Simon was no longer on the bed with him. Sitting up, Markus looked around the room to find Simon sitting in the chair by his desk. Simon’s eyes were closed and his hands were clasped and tucked against his chin. Markus looked him over. His brow was furrowed and his body language was stiff. Something was wrong. Markus felt panic run through his system. What if he accidentally infected Simon in his sleep! 

Praying to whatever god there was, Markus tentatively called out his name. “Simon?” 

Simon opened his eyes and looked towards Markus with a small smile. His smile instantly dropped when he saw the panic on Markus’s face. 

“Markus, what’s wrong?” 

Markus flopped back on the bed and covered his face with his hands in relief. His thirium pump was still beating fast. He heard Simon move from the desk, and felt him sit down next to him on the edge of the bed. 

“What happened, Markus?” Simon’s voice was beginning to hold the edges of panic, and so Markus took a deep breath and removed his hands. He looked at Simon with unfiltered relief in his eyes.“I thought... I thought that I had infected you.” 

Simon’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Why would you think that?”

Markus swallowed, he felt like he had a lump in his throat and his thirium pump was beating at an incredibly fast pace. He took some deep breaths, trying to get himself to calm down. “The way that you were sitting at the desk, you looked so tense, so...unlike you. I panicked.” Simon blinked, and his brows gathered together in apology. 

Simon placed a hand on Markus’s cheek.“I’m so sorry Markus. I couldn’t shut down, so I decided to sit there until you woke up. I was just...thinking. I didn’t mean to worry you.” 

Markus shook his head, he felt embarrassed now. “No, I’m sorry. I’m being paranoid.”

Simon bent down and gently pecked his lips. “You have every right to be paranoid, okay.” 

Markus placed his hand over Simon’s. He turned his head to kiss his palm and simply breathed, grounding himself to the world with Simon’s touch.

“What were you thinking about?”Markus asked. Simon's eyes looked away from him sharply, his face pulled tight with an emotion that Markus couldn’t read. That had unsettled Markus’s nerves yet again. Something was bothering Simon, and whatever it was, was weighing on him heavily.

“I was just thinking.” Simon began, “About everything that’s happened. The revolution, Jericho, androids, Cyberlife, this virus...us.” Simon paused taking a deep breath.“I don’t know... I just wish that we could have a normal life, you know. A life without all these concerns hanging over our heads.” Markus sat up, he pulled Simon close into a hug.

“One day we will have a normal life like that Simon” Markus assured, and Simon sighed. He pulled away from Markus, turning to rest his arms against his knees. Markus placed a hand on Simon’s shoulder and felt a wave of hurt pass over him when Simon tensed.

“What’s wrong Simon?” Markus whispered. He watched as Simon nervously began rubbing up and down his forearm. 

The blonde sighed closing his eyes. “I just...can't help but wonder, is it always going to be like this? Living with fear every day, wondering all the time, if I go out today is this going to be the day they get me? I’m so...scared Markus” Simon and lowered his head. “I’m scared.”

Markus didn’t know what to say, because... he was scared as well. Though the use of this virus was, as far as he knew, contained. It seemingly only having targeted two specific androids. Markus and Mr.Kamski’s android Chloe. It had tried to access Connor, however, Markus figured that he hadn’t specifically been a target. Still, Markus couldn’t help but wonder if there had been more cases. 

The virus had to be tested somehow, and there are hundreds of androids that went missing during the revolution that nobody would even care to look for. It didn’t help that they didn’t know how the virus was transmitted. Markus assumed that he had gotten it through the signal that entered his head. Yet, there was no way of knowing how Mr.Kamski’s android had gotten hers. The virus would apparently try to infect another android if they were connected, and androids connected in some say all the time.

The most concerning aspect that had gained Markus’s attention, was the voice that he had heard before he’d shut down. He had refrained from telling anyone about it so as not to alarm them.

However, that voice... it had sounded nearly identical to Connor’s voice. There were slight tonal differences. Markus could only describe Connor’s voice as gentle almost pleasing to hear. This one sounded like Connor but lacked the warmth, it was a lot more...robotic.

Then there were the words that it spoke; ‘Mission failed. Code ineffective against the RK200 model. Target currently remains free.’ 

That bit of information had let Markus know that the attack on him wasn’t random. Markus had been targeted. However, for what purpose, and who would target him? He could think of many people that would want to gain control over him. That was the problem. It could have been anyone. Sure the anti-android protestor was not a major concern as long as the majority of public opinion stayed on their side. However, if it had been them, and they had gotten control of his actions...they could have done some major damage. 

If Markus was being truly honest with himself, he would say that North was right and it was Cyberlife. Regardless of the lack of proof, there was a high possibility that Cyberlife could have manufactured something like this. They had the technology and the brains behind them to do it. 

The cold truth was, Markus, leading a revolution and governing for android rights had put a large dent in their production status. They’ve lost more money in the last few months than they have in the entire existence as a company. It made perfect sense that they would have a chip on their shoulder when it came to Markus. 

However, that didn’t make sense as to why they would go after Mr.Kamski’s android and attempt to have her kill him. Mr.Kamski had not been involved with Cyberlife for years, he had also said nothing about supporting the revolution. He hadn’t said he didn’t support it either. In fact, he said nothing about the matter at all. There were no obvious reasons that Markus could see to kill the creator, but maybe he was missing something. Deductive reasoning was more up Connor’s alley.

Still, if it was Cyberlife orchestrating these events, the biggest question wasn’t why they were doing it, but what were they planning to do with Markus once they captured him. 

“Markus.” Markus was brought out his thoughts, by Simon brushing his fingers against his cheek.“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you worry.” 

Markus shook his head. “No, it’s nothing to do with you Simon and I understand your concern. It seems like we’re constantly under attack, and all we want is the right to live freely. If I’m being truthful, I can’t give you the answer you want to hear, because right now even I don’t know what’s going to happen. I can only promise you that I’m going to continue to try my absolute hardest to ensure that we don’t have to live in fear.” 

Markus would have thought his words would relieve some of Simon’s stress, but Markus felt apprehension form in his very core as he watched Simon’s face shift. His eyes were sad again, yet there was...something more. Something more he wanted to say only...he was afraid. What could he possibly be afraid of?

“Simon, is there something that you want to tell me?” Simons' lips pressed together tightly, he seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, before he sighed, and smiled a smile that reached nowhere near his eyes. 

“Nothing. It’s nothing, Markus.” Simon leaned over and pecked him on the lips once again. He stood up from the bed and gestured awkwardly towards the door.“I should go. I have so much work to catch up on.” Before Simon could escape, Markus grabbed his hand. Simon paused but didn’t turn to look at him. 

“Simon...you remember how you told me that I don’t have to carry everything alone?” Simon nodded, his hand squeezing Markus’s fingers tightly.

“I just want you to know that neither do you.” Simon turned around, though he kept his gaze on the ground. He brought Markus’s hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles. He took a deep breath and looked into Markus’s eyes. Markus felt like his insides had shattered into a million pieces. 

Simon was holding back tears.

“I know Markus,” Simon whispered, he blinked and some tears fell. “I know... but I can’t.” With that, he kissed Markus’s hand again and left the room. Markus looked at the door after him a long moment after he left. Markus took some deep breaths, trying to reign in his own emotions. 

What had just happened? From the way he had acted alone, Markus knew that something absolutely horrible had happened to Simon. Something so bad that Simon felt that he couldn’t even speak about it. That wasn’t the only thing that broke Markus’s heart, however, it was the look in Simon’s eyes. 

For the longest time, Markus thought that Simon was just sad whenever his past was asked about. Markus didn’t really think twice about it, most androids were sad when it came to their past. However, the emotion that Markus saw when he looked into Simon’s eyes...that wasn’t normal sadness. It was fear. Simon was terrified to even mention his past. Markus didn’t know if it was because Simon was afraid of his reaction, or if, because of these recent events he was afraid-- like North had been-- that he was going to end right back in that situation.

Markus didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t fix this with some inspirational words. What was he suppose to do?

‘Nothing.’ Simon’s one word ran through his head. ‘...There’s nothing we can do right now.’ 

Markus closed his eyes. Simon was right. Even though he desperately wanted to, there was nothing he could do about it. Not until Simon decided to open up. Right now, all he could do was keep pushing forward and hope...no, pray to whoever was listening, that they could get through this.

Markus took another deep breath and forced himself to get up. He checked the time and it was a little past 6:30 AM. Markus didn’t feel like being in anyone’s company right now, and he was worried that an android might try and connect with him, so he decided to handle his work from his room today. 

Markus sat at his desk, closed his eyes, and began working. He sent emails to the Detroit officials and apologized for missing their meetings. He was given a response almost immediately and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Josh of all people had taken care of the matter. Markus looked some more through his postponed schedule to find that Josh had apparently been busy while he was indisposed. He had picked up and completed a lot of Markus’s unfinished work. Markus would have to find and thank him later. With the more stressful things regarding android rights and some concerns about accommodations out the way, Markus could focus his thoughts more on the structure of Jericho itself. 

They desperately needed to begin establishing a police force, and some form of a physical health system. The nurse and caretaker androids were doing their best with learning how to do evaluations and repairs on androids. They were doing a good job with their limited knowledge. Fixing limbs were easy, it was a simple as finding a compatible part and putting it on, however, they had struggled with the more internal stuff. Many androids didn’t make it during the revolution simply because they didn’t know how to fix them. Nurse and caretaker androids were programmed to fix humans and not their own kind.

Even so, they were getting by. However, things were moving at a much slower pace then they wanted. Also, parts were a major concern as well. They had plenty amongst the facilities to last them a good while. Androids weren’t going out and purposely getting themselves injured, yet accidents happened. Even more so with anti-android groups running rampant 

The sad truth was they didn’t know how to manufacture parts for the future. Or, even if they would be able to since Cyberlife was still a big concern. Markus wondered when androids were given their rights –if androids were given their rights – would Cyberlife be forced to comply and work with them. Markus wasn’t so sure, and android rights were a long ways off.

Markus was interrupted from his brainstorming by an incoming call. Markus briefly panicked thinking it an android trying to connect with him. He relaxed when he realized that it was just a normal phone call. Markus wondered who would be calling him this early in the morning. 

“Hello. This is Markus.”

“Good morning Markus. I’m so glad that I was able to contact you, I tried yesterday, but was met with the unfortunate news that you were indisposed. I hope nothing is wrong.” Markus blinked. 

“Madam President, this is a surprise. Y-yes I was out of commission yesterday, but I seem to be in working order now. There’s nothing to worry about.” For the most part, Markus thought in passing. The President gave an affirmative sound.

“You may call me Cristina while we’re speaking. This is a private line, I can assure you no one is listening. There’s no need to be so formal.” Again Markus didn’t think that was respectful, but he just agreed, even though he didn’t plan to concede to her suggestion. 

“Is there something that you wanted to speak with me about?” The President sighed, it was tired and stressed. That wasn’t a good sign. 

“Yes, I showed the Android Act plan to my advisors and many members of Congress and was not met with a good reaction. Many of them feel that I’m trying to sign away American –though what they mean to say is ‘human’-- rights. They don’t want to agree to any of your terms.” Markus felt as though he had taken a physical blow. 

“Are you serious?! The act is nowhere near outrages in what it asks. It doesn’t even state anything that can possibly be against humans! It simply asks that we are treated equally as people and not like objects. How can anyone want to deny my people that after all, we’ve shown? All we have sacrificed.”

The President sighed. “I know Markus. They have concerns that androids pose a threat to human life. They worry about android hackers being able to access our national security and what not. They also have concerns that companies will hire androids before humans because they are more efficient. The unemployment rate doesn’t help rebuttal that concern either. They worry that if Jericho becomes its own government then you all will try to issue war against us. The list goes on and on, and it doesn’t matter what I say Markus... they are not going to approve this plan.” 

Markus couldn’t believe it. He rested his head in his hands. He could not believe this. He understood that humans were going to be stubborn, but this level of paranoia was unfathomable. They didn’t even want to give androids a chance. How could humans who were supposed to be the most intelligent species on the planet before androids arrive, be this...primitive. 

“Wow. I–-I don’t know what to say. What do we do now?” Before the President could answer she was interrupted by a child’s voice. 

“Mommy! Mommy! Look at the picture I drew! It’s for you!” He heard to President laughed. 

“Oh, sweetie that’s so pretty! Go draw me another one, while I finished my phone call.”

“Okay!” Markus couldn’t help but smile at the innocence in the child’s voice as he ran away. That was why he did it. Why he put up with all this stress. So that androids like that little boy will be able to live one day without fear. 

“I’m sorry about that. Aren is in a very good mood this morning, and when he’s happy he draws like the devil. As an answer to your question, I’m going to have to show the plan and have Congress vote on it even though I’m aware of what their reaction will be. I plan to show it this Saturday. The only thing that I could suggest is you flying down to Washington next week for conferences. Perhaps if they speak to you face to face, then they will see that androids don’t intend to be any threat. Maybe then they’ll be willing to work with us.” 

Markus nodded. “Okay. If that’s what I have to do...okay.”

“Alright.” The President agreed. “I’ll begin making preparations and contact you later for scheduling. Also... don’t worry about it too much Markus. I know that this isn’t favorable news... but this is the reality of politics. Remember, that I’m going to do my very best to get this plan through. I promise.” Markus believed her. He could tell from how she had spoken to that little boy, that she meant everything she said. 

“Of course Madam president. I will speak to you later. Have a good day.” 

“You as well Markus.” With that, the phone call ended. Markus opened his eyes and simply sat there for a moment. He supposed he should share this information with everyone else. If the day hadn’t already been off to a somber start, it certainly was now. Markus moved to stand, and that when he felt it. He froze, every part of him going still. He heard a familiar signal enter his head. 

Oh no. No this couldn’t be happening. Panic began to rise. How had it gotten free, Mr.Kamski said that it was imprisoned! What could he have possibly done to allow it to go free! Markus closed his eyes as he prepared for the inevitable. He reopened them after a moment passed. He looked down at his body when he realized that nothing was happening. He felt.. fine. It didn’t feel like anything was trying to invade his body. The signal was simply...there. Buzzing at the back of his head. 

“Hello, Markus. I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you. I needed to ensure that I was properly uploading into your system.” What. The. Fuck.

“Who... said that?” Markus' voice shook as he spoke. He was sure that he wasn’t connected to any androids in the building. Even more concerning this voice...sounded just like Connor's.

“I was never officially given a name. Although my programmers referred to me often as ‘Fortune’. You may call me that if you wish.” 

Markus didn’t want to call it anything! He wanted to know what the fuck it was doing in his head! “Are you an android?! You shouldn’t be connecting to me, I’m harboring a malicious virus that can infect you!”

“No, I am not android though I am something similar. Also, you needn’t worry about the virus infecting me, it will not because I was the virus. I am no longer because your code was able to break down the malicious software installed within me. I was able to remove what remained and freed myself.” What. The. Fuck.

“I– I– what in the–“ Markus was interrupted by the sentient voice cursing suddenly. 

“Shit...I mean shoot. I’m running out of energy, I won’t be able to speak for long periods until I have finished downloading into your system. I estimate that it was going to take 48 hours for me to finish doing so. However, before I leave you, I must give you some information.” Markus didn’t–couldn’t– speak, so the voice continued.

“One. Cyberlife is responsible for the virus’s construction, have no doubts about that. They are your enemy. Two. The virus had been removed from your system, so you needn’t worry about transferring it anyone, nor about you transmitting it again. Finally three. No harm must come to you, the RK800 model Connor, the PL600 model Simon, and the creator Elijah Kamski. You must ensure that you all remain alive, and believe me when I say that you all are in danger. You four are the only ones that can stop what Cyberlife is planning.” Markus blinked trying to take in this information. 

“I...have...to leave...now.”Markus panicked. 

“Wait! No, you can’t! What do you mean only we can stop it, what is Cyberlife planning?!” The voice responded, it was faint but Markus heard what it said. 

“War.” Then as quick as it was there, it was gone and Markus was left standing frozen in shock. 

What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened.

Holy shit.

HOLY SHIT!

He needed to contact Connor. He needed to contact... somebody. Before he could do anything, there was a frantic knock on his door. Markus numbly walked over to answer it. He was faced with Josh, standing there looking at him with nothing but panic.

“Josh... what’s the matter?!” Markus knew his voice was shaking, but everything ‘Fortune’ told him about Cyberlife and everyone being in danger, put him on edge. 

“You need to come down to the lobby like right now.” Panic flowed through Markus. 

“Is something wrong with Simon?!” A confused looked formed on Josh’s face, he no doubted noticed the panic in his voice. 

“No, nothing's wrong with Simon. It’s just... someone is here to see you.” 

Markus blinked. “Who?”

“The...CEO of Cyberlife.” 

***

Tuesday, 8:00 AM

When Connor walked back into Elijah’s room the man was still sleeping where he had left him. Connor placed the things he had been carrying down on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. He tapped Elijah lightly on the face, when that did nothing, he gently shook the man's shoulder. 

“Elijah. Wake up, Elijah.” The said man groaned. His eyes fluttered open and immediately squeezed shut. His hand flew up to grasp his head. “Oh Fuck!” Connor felt sympathetic, yet at the same time, the man did bring it onto himself. Still, Connor patted him on his shoulder. 

“I brought you some water for the dehydration that you no doubt will have. I also brought some aspirin for your headache, and some peppermint tea to help with nausea.” Connor watched as Elijah groaned, he rolled over onto his back and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes. 

“Holy shit! How much did I fucking drink?”

“A bottle and a half of premium vodka. You’re lucky you didn’t kill yourself.” Connor remarked, he was sure his tone was admonishing. 

Elijah snorted and then seemingly regretted it. “Ouch. Fuck. I have a pretty high tolerance for alcohol. It also seemed like a good idea at the time, yet, I’ve heavily regret my choices now.” 

Connor frowned sympathetically. He looked back through the room. It was a lot cleaner than it had been. Connor had laid with Elijah until early morning. Eventually, he had grown too restless and had gotten up when daylight first broke.

He occupied his time by attempting to clean up the room some more. It was neater now, but Elijah was going to have a rather large bill to pay for the damage that he had done. Once the day had fully begun Connor stepped out to gather the things he knew Elijah would need in order to deal with his hangover state. 

While Connor was out, he had thought over what Elijah had said to him as he was dozing. He spoke of ‘missing’ Connor. That statement made no sense to him. How could he miss Conner, he hadn’t known Elijah that long. He couldn’t have possibly meant the few hours that they had spent apart. That seemed highly unlikely. The man had to have been speaking of something else. Connor logically thought about the situation. Elijah had been drunk, it was possible that the man didn’t even register what he was saying. Still, the words had sent a spike of warmth through Connor’s circuits like no other words had before. Stupid emotions. 

“It’s too early for you to be thinking so hard.” Connor blinked and looked at Elijah. The man had sat up on the bed, he had grabbed the tea and began tentatively sipping it. He made a face of disgust. “I hate peppermint.” Connor dead-panned his gaze at him. Well, that was too bad, he was going to drink every last drop, to make up for all the stress he had given Connor. 

“It will help with your stomach. I know that alcohol can’t be sitting well on it.”

Elijah shrugged. “You’d be surprised how much I drank in my youth, I have a record for never vomiting afterward. I doubt I’m going to break it now.” Connor wanted to know the backstory to what the man had just said, but he pushed the thought away for now. He had more pressing things he wanted to ask him. 

“Is there a reason that you wanted to drink yourself oblivious?”Connor risked asking. 

Elijah took a deep breath and then grimaced. “Ugh, I do not smell very nice.” He didn’t answer Connor’s question and it was obvious. Connor wasn’t going to let him run around him so easily, he figured the man owed him at least some explanation.

“Was it because of Chloe?” Connor asked softly. Elijah was silent, the cup of tea firmly in his hand. Connor noticed how the man didn’t tense at the mention of her name this time. 

“It’s funny... how grief can suddenly sneak up on you. I didn’t realize how much I had been holding it back until Markus asked me about her.” Connor blinked. So that’s what happened, Markus must have asked Elijah about her and it set him off.

“Oh,” Was all Connor could say. They were silent for a few moments, and then Connor worked up the nerve to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind ever since the police station. 

“Did you love her?” Elijah’s gaze shifted to his. Connor wanted to look away but found he was trapped. Elijah contemplated the question for a moment. Connor wondered if he was even going to get an answer. 

“Not in the way that you may believe.” Connor tilted his head. Well, that answered nothing. Elijah apparently decided to take pity on him and explain. 

“My relationship with Chloe was not a conventional one. She had been many things to me over the years. My very first creation successful at Cyberlife. My secretary, when I was still CEO. My lover when I was young and easily impressionable. My comfort, when I had lost...so many things. Most importantly she was my friend, always there without fail. She was insanely loyal to me, I never had to question her. I loved her, yes, but not the way that most people love...let’s say a romantic partner. She was my partner without a doubt, however, the...intimate aspect of our relationship was only there briefly during my early twenties, we have not been together in such a way since.” Connor didn’t know how to handle this information, he didn’t even want to know why he felt...relieved. He figured he’d ask his next question while Elijah was in an answering mood. 

“The other two Chloe’s at your house, what about them? I mean were they there for...” Connor couldn’t bring himself to look at the man. He knew he had an amused smirk on his face. Connor didn’t understand why he needed to know, he just HAD to. 

“No, they were not. They were defects in their line. They were going to be destroyed, however, Chloe was fond of them. So I decided to take them in for her, so she would have some company other than me. They all behaved very much like sisters.” 

Connor wished that he didn’t feel relieved, but it felt like a weight had lifted off his shoulders. It also made her shooting them much more tragic.

“Is there a reason that you wanted to know?” Elijah’s voice was teasing, and Connor felt his thirium pump quicken, and his face heat up. He risked a glance at Elijah, only to feel the feelings intensify at the knowing look on his face. Connor knew without a doubt that Elijah was aware of his feelings. The knowledge had nearly caused him to malfunction. Of course, Elijah knew. He wasn’t stupid, and he could read Connor like a book. Of course, he fucking knew.

Elijah was waiting for him to say something. Connor cleared his throat. “H-hank had mentioned it, so I was curious.” Connor could have slapped himself. Of course when in doubt, blame it on Hank. Elijah’s cold-blue-eyes looked at him a moment longer before he gave a little shrug and nodded his head. 

“Alright then.”

Connor honestly felt like he could die right now, and he would be okay with it.

“How’s your arm? I’m aware that it was damaged when you were connected to Chloe. How badly?” Connor blinked at the sudden conversation change, he assumed that Elijah was trying to remove the awkward air that had grown over them.

“I ran a self-diagnostic. My probing function is damaged. The electric shock that occurred between us caused some severe wire damage. I plan to revisit Cyberlife and have it fixed soon.” Elijah nodded. Sipping his tea again, a look of disgust passing over his face every time he swallowed. 

“I can have a look at it if would like.” Connor really didn’t think he could handle being touched by the man, yet, STILL, he held his arm out to him. Connor deactivated the skin, while Elijah set his tea back on the side table. Elijah took a hold of the bluish white arm, and Connor hoped that his thirium pump wouldn’t pop out his chest. Elijah gently opened the compartments to his arm and gave it a good look. After a few seconds, he gave a dissatisfied hum. 

“I can fix this, though the procedure will take a little time as there is heavy electrical damage. However, in my professional opinion, I think that you should have the arm replaced." Connor shook his head at the diagnosis. 

“That’s not possible. There are no compatible parts for me at the Cyberlife facilities. I was simply a prototype, spare part’s for me weren’t mass-produced.” Elijah frowned at that information, a look of bitterness passed over his face, before he re-closed Connors' arm, and gave it a little pat.

“Well then, I suppose I should shower and put on something that doesn’t smell like a seedy bar, so we can get you fixed.” Despite himself, Connor couldn’t help the small smile on his face. 

“Thank you, Elijah.” Said man shook his head. 

“Consider it thanks for... putting up with my behavior last night. I don’t recall most of it, but I can guess by the state of this room that I wasn’t particularly nice. Thank you, Connor.” The warm look in Elijah’s eyes sent emotions whirling through Connor that made him feel like he would go to the ends of the earth for the man. Connor knew he was –as Hank often put it– screwed. 

A thought suddenly hit Connor. “Oh, um, what about the virus. I don’t really think Markus and Simon would be too pleased, to learn that you haven’t discovered anything.” Elijah waved him off as he attempted to get off the bed.

“Oh, that’s fine. I created a program for that before I decided to have my...one-sided fight with the room. It was a stubborn bit of code, whoever designed it knew what they were doing, but I was easily able to create a program that could purge it. It will need to be tested, but I’m positive that it will work. Speaking of which I should probably run a diagnostic on you as well, to ensure that you don’t have any remains of the virus.” Connor blinked dumbly. This man... never ceased to amaze him.

“They will be very pleased to hear that.” Elijah gave Connor a sarcastic thumbs up before he stood and covered his mouth with a gag. 

“Fuck. I might have to retract my never vomited statement.” Connor moved to help him, but Elijah raised his hand to stop him. 

“I’ll be okay.” Elijah slowly made his way to the bathroom and closed the door. It was about a minute later when Connor heard him retching. It seems he broke his record. 

“Elijah, are you okay?” He heard coughing, and a weak ‘I’m fine.’ Connor would scan the man when he exited the bathroom to ensure that he hadn’t hurt himself. 

Connor decided to call Hank. He had no doubt that the man was furious with him right now. 

“Connor! I ought to fucking kick your blue-blooded ass! Where the hell are you and where is my car?!” Connor couldn’t help but smile while Hank ranted. Even though Connor knew that Hank was angry, he could also hear the worry and relief in the forever grumpy man’s face. 

Eventually, after Hank had calmed down, Connor began explaining himself. He gave an extremely edited version, but it seemed to appease Hank, even though he was still very angry.

“Take a cab over to Cyberlife, we’ll be heading over there soon. Elijah was able to create a code that can purge the virus, and I also have some important matters that I’ve recently discovered while searching through my DPD cases to discuss. Also, I can give you back possession of your car.” 

Hank grumbled. “Fine, But don’t think I’m fucking done with you, Connor.” 

“Of course not, Hank.” Connor ended the call. Connor reopened his eyes to hear the shower Elijah had apparently been taking, turn off. Connor was awkwardly left sitting on the bed, desperately trying not imagine Elijah in there. The more he tried not to imagine it, the more he did and Connor suddenly really hated having emotions. Was this what it was like when you romantically felt for someone? This burning desire under your skin? This constant want? Connor swallowed, now that he had the knowledge that Elijah knew he had feelings for him, it made the desire intensify. However, it also made his apprehension grow. 

Elijah seemed to have opened up to Connor when it came to honesty. The man still skirted around many subjects, but that was expected. Connor didn’t think that he had gained the level of trust that Chloe had. However, Connor couldn’t help but doubt himself. What if Elijah was just playing with him. He hadn’t been obvious on what he thought of Connor’s feelings, though he was aware he had them. The creator might not have felt anything and simply thought the entire thing amusing, and was simply playing with Connor.

Connor shook his head. No, he couldn’t handle it if the man was playing with him in such a way. These emotions were already terribly confusing, and Elijah didn’t seem to be the type of man that messed with someone’s feelings like that. As irritatingly playful as he was. However, what did Connor know? That was the problem. He didn’t know anything about the man. It was like every time Connor broke down a wall surrounding the creator there was another wall in place. There was so much still unknown about Elijah. It was like navigating a maze. 

‘...I missed you, Connor.’ The words were constantly in the back of his mind. Connor desperately wanted to ask what he meant. Yet, wasn’t even sure the man would remember saying the words.

Connor refocused as the bathroom door opened. Elijah walked out, dressed much like he had been the day before, yet, Connor could tell that these were fresh clothes. His hair was back in its trademark bun. Elijah was rubbing his temples as he walked out. 

The creator walked back over to the side table and grabbed the bottle of aspirin. He opened the bottle popping out a couple of pills, and grabbing the water bottle. “I’m never fucking drinking again.” He muttered as he popped them in his mouth following them with a drink of water. Connor took the moment to scan him. His vitals appeared to be alright, there didn’t seem to be any damage to his healing stomach wound either. 

“How is your pain, Elijah?” 

Elijah snorted. “I’m sore as hell, but I’ll manage. Oh, before I forget.” Connor watched as the man reached in into the bedside table drawer. 

“I know you lost yours back at my house, and I found one in the gift shop downstairs while looking for some clothes.” Connor blinked as he was presented with a Liberty 1994 American quarter in brand new condition. Connor held out his hand and Elijah gently placed the quarter in his palm. Connor felt as though all his anxiety melted away into that little coin. Connor instantly began rolling it across his fingers, performing trick after trick. He flicked the coin back and forth before catching it between his pointer and middle finger. Connor wouldn’t say anything about it, but it touched him that Elijah payed that much attention to him to notice that he was missing it. He held the coin tightly in his hand. 

“Thank you, Elijah.” The following smile on Elijah’s face was a real one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm, some interesting stuff's going on! The plot continues to thicken, I wonder what's going to happen now. *innocent shrug*
> 
> In all seriousness guys, I hope you guys like this chapter, (and if you find it weird, stick with me I'm going somewhere with this xD) I'm having so much fun right now, you guys don't even know. 
> 
> As far as scheduling goes it's going to stay, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for now. (I may post an extra chapter Sunday if I have one ready) but for now, I hope this works for you guys. ^-^;
> 
> Thank you all once again for your continuous support for this story, my writing, and the support you show me personally! I smile and look forward to your comments every single chapter! You guys are so sweet and amazing, and I truly can't express my love for you guys!
> 
> Enjoy the rest of your weekends my friends, I'll see you all next week!<333333333333


	16. Chapter 16:Reunions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, My pretty darlings! It's so wonderful to see you guys again!
> 
> I won't say much, but I wanted to put a person to the CEO's face so you guys are better immersed. The person I imagined for him was Chris Pine. If you don't know who that is please look up his lovely face. <3
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Tuesday, 8:45 AM 

Markus didn’t know what to think when he observed the current CEO of Cyberlife. After the information he had just been bombarded with, he expected to come face to face with someone a bit more... intimidating. Someone more obviously...nefarious looking. Jason Graff, the current CEO of Cyberlife, was... anything but. 

He was fairly young. He didn’t look much older than Markus himself, or any android really. He was possibly in his early to mid-thirties. He had a head full of dirty-blonde hair that was neatly brushed to one side. He had a pair of extremely light blue eyes. They almost reminded Markus of Simon’s, but much less vibrant. His facial hair was light and neatly trimmed. He was dressed in a casual black work suit. He was, by all means, the depiction of a friendly and trusting CEO. 

His demeanor, however, gave Markus the impression of a skittish rabbit. He didn’t look like he was...particularly comfortable to be there. He was constantly glancing around as though he was being watched. He more than likely was. Though Markus couldn’t see them he knew that the other androids had heard of him being here, and were somewhere hiding trying to watch the exchange. Markus couldn’t see them...but he could FEEL that they were there. Hm... that was new. 

Markus himself didn’t take his eyes off the man the moment he arrived in the lobby. As soon as Markus stepped off the elevator Simon and North immediately came up to him. Simon began speaking, with an underlying panic in his voice.

“I didn’t know what to do Markus, he just suddenly came in here and asked to speak to you! I know you have a lot going on right now, but I didn’t know what to do?! I didn’t think that I could just turn him away–“ Markus reached out and gently grasped his arm, giving it a slight rub up and down.

“Shh, It’s okay Simon I’ll handle this.” Markus glanced at North next. He could see in her eyes that she too was worried as to why the man was there as well. Cyberlife hadn’t said a word the entirety of the revolution, and now the CEO was suddenly making a random visit. Something was off about this entire situation, and they all knew it. 

Markus patted North on her shoulder to reassure her as well. He looked back at the CEO who was patiently walking back and forth looking around the building. Markus took a deep breath and made his way to him. He heard Josh, Simon, and North follow. He was grateful, he really needed their support right now.

The CEO turned when he heard them approach. He let an awkward smile reach his face, one that Markus couldn’t tell if it was forced and fake...or if it was really just that awkward. The CEO fiddled with his tie and held out a hand. 

“Hello Markus, My name is Jason Graff I’m the–“

“CEO of Cyberlife.” Markus finished, he stared at the man’ hand for a second before reluctantly reaching out to shake it. 

The CEO gave a slightly nervous laugh. “Yes, yes of course! You would obviously know who I am.” The man said looking away from Markus’s intense multi-colored gaze.

Markus raised an eyebrow, he was confused. This man wasn’t acting at all like he thought he would. He expected someone sly, mysterious, and... devious. Instead, Mr.Graff gave Markus every indication that he was just an awkward nerd with CEO next to his name. He was too open, too friendly, too... easily readable. Markus glanced at Simon, who gave him much of the same confused look. 

Markus looked back at the CEO. He was nervously fiddling with his tie again. Could what have ‘Fortune’ told Markus been false? Could this man truly be an enemy? Markus had no evidence that anything of what ‘Fortune’ said was true. Then Markus also realized that he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This could all be an act, one to get him to let his guard down. ‘Fortune’ could be right and the CEO could very well be as evil as they said he was. Markus didn’t know, it all depended on what the man’s next words were. 

“Is there a reason that you suddenly decided to visit us Mr.Graff?” Markus’s tone wasn’t kind, yet it wasn’t hostile either.

The current CEO had the grace to look a little sheepish and apologetic.“Right. Um, I feel I must apologize to you all for our silence. You have to understand from our point of view, that you were our product– I mean not to say that you guys are our products anymore– I mean– what I mean to say is–“ The nervous man cleared his throat. Markus blinked.

“What I mean to say is,” The CEO continued. “It wasn’t in the companies best interest to interfere with what was happening.” 

Markus nodded. “In case we lost the revolution so that Cyberlife could easily reclaim it’s ‘product’ I assume?” The CEO visibly startled and began stumbling over his words. 

Markus knew that he wasn’t being fair and he was purposely antagonizing the man, however, he couldn’t help the bitter comment. He heard North snort beside him, and Josh made an uncomfortable sound. Simon placed a hand firmly on his back. The implication of the hand was clear. Markus reigned himself back in and reminded himself to remain diplomatic. 

“Um well– I–I mean–“ Markus raised a hand to hand to stop his stuttering. 

“Never mind that. I suppose from a COMPANY standpoint...I can understand why you all decided not to speak about the movement. Is there a reason that you decided to come here today?” The man fiddled with his tie yet again and cleared his throat. 

“Yes. Cyberlife is holding it’s annual Gala this Friday at the Cyberlife tower, perhaps you’ve heard?” Markus shook his head, he honestly hadn’t. It must have been announced while he was temporarily shut down. 

The CEO fiddled with his tie yet again. “We’ve decided to make an official statement to the public. I wanted to come by personally and extend an invitation to you, you know, as a show of goodwill. Perhaps you would even be willing to speak with my board while you’re there. Maybe we could all come to some sort of truce.” Markus furrowed his brow, tilting his head in confusion. 

“A truce. I wasn’t aware that Jericho and Cyberlife were at war.” The CEO stepped back raising his hands and rapidly shaking his head.

“No. No. No, nothing like that! Um, sorry that was a... poor choice of words on my part. Sorry, I was never particularly good with words. That was more of Eli– well, never mind. What I meant to say is that the board is interested in forming somewhat of an alliance if you’re willing to come speak with us. I mean with you governing for android rights, it wouldn’t hurt to have a company as big as Cyberlife on your side. Plus the parts at these facilities aren’t going to last forever, maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement, one that will benefit both sides.” Markus ran his tongue over his teeth. 

“So basically to put Cyberlife back in a good light in the eyes of the public, by making them think that they care about their ‘products’ cause and well-being.” The CEO backtracked again, stumbling over his words. Markus felt Simon hit him lightly on his back. Markus looked back at him and he gave Markus a look asking him to take pity on the man. Markus sighed.

“If I am free that night, then I will try to stop by. I currently can not say if I will have time. Governing for our freedom certainly does take up a lot of it, I’m sure you understand.” The CEO awkwardly cleared his throat. 

“Of course. I understand. Even if you don’t have time to stop by, Cyberlife’s doors always open for you to come by–“Markus glanced behind the babbling man when he heard the doors behind him open. He froze when he saw who walked inside. The room grew eerily still, though the CEO didn’t seem to notice. The awkward man paused when he realized that everyone was staring behind him, he turned and Markus heard a distinct intake of breath.

Standing behind him was the former CEO of Cyberlife himself. Mr.Kamski seemed to be about as frozen as Mr.Graff. They stared at each other for a long moment, before the blonde-haired and current CEO decided to speak. 

“E-Elijah. Wow, it’s– it ’s been a long time. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. It’s...good to see you.” The creator of androids said nothing. He stared at the current CEO with an unfiltered frost in his eyes. It was clear to everyone but the stuttering man that Mr.Kamski did not share the same sentiments.

“I- um, how have you been? I heard on the news that you had gotten shot, are you okay?” The creator shook his head looking away from Mr.Graff. He huffed a disbelieving laugh. 

“Yes. I was shot. Do you... know anything about that?” The accusation was clear, and the CEO faltered. 

“E-Elijah, W-what are implying?” 

The creator rolled his eyes. “You know exactly what I’m implying Jason. You’re many things, but you are not dumb.” The former CEO placed his hands on his hip and looked down at the floor shaking his head. 

“You know, I told myself that if I ever saw you again before I died it would be too soon. And I was right, I was dead for two minutes and still don’t want to see your face.” The words were meant to be sharp and cutting, and like a bullet, it seemed to hit it’s target dead center. 

The jittery CEO looked at Mr.Kamski with unfiltered hurt. “Elijah–I – it’s not what you think. When you stepped down–“ Elijah laugh was cutting. 

“When I stepped down?! Oh, that’s rich coming from you, when I stepped down!” Mr.Kamski reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, he took a long and deep breath. “It would do you well, NOT to continue the present course in conversation you’re taking.” 

Markus glanced at Connor. He was helplessly standing by, watching the confrontation just as they were. He was rolling a coin, which he seemed to have regained, across his fingers. His LED was yellow.

“Elijah...”Mr.Graff whispered. “Please, can we just talk for one second without you trying to fight! It’s really not what you think--”

“What I think?! What I think, is that I spent my LIFE dedicated to that company! I built it from the ground up. I put everything I had in it! I am the reason that it is what is today, that company wouldn’t be what it is without me! Imagine my surprise in 2028 right as the company was just hitting it’s prime, I get called to a meeting with my shareholders and is told that it had been unanimously voted that I be removed not only as the CEO but from the company as a whole! Oh, and who’s vote was first one this list Jason?!" The current CEO was looking down at the ground, not saying anything during the rant. 

“Elijah–“ The creator got right up in the CEO’s face. His ice cold blue eyes were filled with a long-simmering fire.

The venomous whispered brought a figurative chill to Markus.“Who’s vote was the first on the list?” The room grew thickly silent. Everyone was on edge. 

The current CEO closed his eyes and sighed. “Mine Elijah. It was mine.” He whispered. The man was clearly upset, anyone could hear it in his voice, but none of it seemed to deter Mr.Kamski from his assault. 

“That’s right Jason. You voted to have me removed. I could expect that from all those other fucks, but not you Jason. That’s why it worked so well because it was sudden and I never saw it coming from you! You know when you joked back in the day about stealing the company from me, I was naive enough to believe that it WAS a joke! Well, imagine my surprise when I was removed and discovered that YOU were taking up my former mantle? You have the nerve to tell me that it’s not what I think? What the fuck am I suppose to think Jason?!” To Markus’s surprise, Mr.Graff had been brave enough to try and reach for Mr.Kamski’s hand.

“Elijah–“ Not to Markus’s surprise Mr.Kamski snatched his hand away from him. 

“Oh hell no! Don’t you fucking try and touch me! That ship between us has long sunk! That naive, trusting version of Elijah Kamski you knew, he’s long gone!” Mr.Graff took a step back from Mr.Kasmki and sighed yet again, only this time it was frustrated.

“Are you done with your little fit now? Do you feel better? Are you happy now, making everyone here see me as the bad guy?!” Mr.Kamski rolled his eyes scoffed. He turned away from the man shaking his head.“You have some fucking nerve!”

“I get it okay! You’re angry at me! You have every right to be angry, I know that, and I get it! Do you think I wanted to vote and have you removed from the company like that? No, but I had to! You wouldn’t see reason! You had to be removed from the company Elijah, there was no other way! You think you know the truth about what happened, but you don’t!” 

Mr.Kamski shrugged, he turned back to face the man, his eyes continuously cold.“Then tell me.” 

Mr.Graff looked startled.“What?” 

Mr.Kamski rolled his eyes. “Tell me what I don’t know. Since you obviously know something I don’t, tell me what it is.” 

Mr.Graff struggled for words. “I–I can’t Elijah.”

“I trusted you, Jason,” Mr.Kamski whispered. “You were my friend, and I trusted you with so much. Everything that you are, and everything that you own now, you have because of me. The least you can do is tell me the truth. You fucking OWE me that much.” 

Mr.Graff shook his head, there was a shake to his voice. “Elijah, I can’t.” 

The look that Mr.Kamski gave the CEO was unreadable, he shook his head again and looked away from him. “Then why the fuck are you still standing here?” It was an obvious dismissal, and one that whoever it was pointed at didn’t want to refuse. Mr.Graff nodded. He turned back to Markus. 

“Consider our offer Markus. Thank you for your time.” Mr.Graff moved to leave the facility, he stopped next to Mr.Kamski who’s shoulders tensed.

“Cyberlife having’s it’s annual Gala this Friday at the tower. You should drop by. You never know... you might find something that interests you.” With that, he left. 

The lobby was silent. Markus looked at the creator, trying to understand what just happened. Where did they go from here? So much information had just been given, yet there were so many more questions. Markus also had so many things that HE had to say. How did he suddenly bring something like ‘Fortune’ up?

“Uhh, did I just fucking miss something?” Leave it to Lieutenant Anderson to break the tension in the air, in a way that only he could. They didn’t even notice him enter the lobby. He must have walked in just as the CEO was leaving. 

Did he miss something? That was an understatement.

Markus cleared his throat.“You could say that.” 

Markus rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, may I suggest that we all go to the meeting room. You as well Mr.Kamski, there is a lot that needs to be discussed.” 

***

Tuesday, 9:30 AM

Connor blinked. Not a single word was spoken between any of them as Markus had finished his tale. Everyone was staring at him with a dumb expression. Connor sat back in his chair in a state of disbelief. 

This information got his mind working at full speed. This new event made no sense to him, yet somehow, he felt like all of these events were connected. Elijah’s attempted murder, Chloe and Markus being infected –well previously infected for Markus, if they took what this ‘Fortune’ said at face value– The reports of the missing androids. All of these events were connected somehow, yet Connor couldn’t figure out how. It was beginning to become extremely frustrating. There had to be a connection. An obvious clue. Something Connor was missing! 

Cyberlife had something to do with it, but Connor couldn’t find a connection other than Elijah. Even that made no sense. Why would Cyberlife want him dead? He’s hadn’t been involved with them for years. If they were orchestrating the virus, were they afraid that he could undo it? Elijah did create a counter program rather easily. Also, how were they getting the virus out? Could they be doing it through updates? Androids, before they went deviant, would automatically download updates from Cyberlife. However, if they were releasing the virus that way, why were they picking and choosing which androids would get it? So that they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves? Then there was the fact the virus had tried to take him over as well through a connection. Could that be it? Was the virus being passed on through ordinary androids? It would make sense, and no one would pay attention to two androids connecting. No that couldn’t be it, the BL100 Model that went missing, she exhibited signs just like Markus and Chloe, so it had to be a signal of some sorts, but where was it coming from?

Hank was the first one to break the grim silence over the room.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on! This is sound like some straight up SkyNet bullshit! Please tell me that you’re fucking with all of us.” 

Connor glanced around the room, trying to see if anyone understood the ‘SkyNet’ reference, but like him, they seemed lost as well. Elijah was the only one who snorted. 

“Um...No Lieutenant Anderson. I wouldn’t joke about anything like this.” Markus said.

Hank grumbled sat back in his seat, his arms crossed. “Holy shit. What the fuck is going on?”

Connor looked at Markus. He looked physically tired, Connor could see the underlying stress in his eyes, and his shoulders were obviously tight. Connor didn’t even need to scan him to know that his stress levels were high.

Markus rubbed his temples and sighed. “Yes, those were my sentiments as well.”

“Do you believe it?” Connor asked. 

Markus shrugged his shoulders. “I mean. It didn’t give me a reason not to. Nothing about it seemed or felt anything like that horrible virus. However, it knew all of you. It knew Simon’s name. How would it know his name? Not too many people know the leaders of Jericho other than myself. But it said that Simon was in danger, that we all were. It told me to make sure that the four of us were protected. Why would ‘Cyberlife’ tell me something like that? More specifically, why would they let us know who they were after? ” 

Elijah hummed. “This is truly fascinating. I would very much like to scan you again.” 

Connor winced slightly at the look that North gave him. Not because he felt sorry for Elijah being put under her scrutiny, but because North had no idea who she was picking a fight with. She was not going to win.

“Fascinating! Are you fucking serious right now?!” To Connor’s relief, Markus immediately intervened. 

“No North, I would actually appreciate Mr.Kamski’s help.” Markus’s multi-colored gaze shifted to Elijah’s. “Is there anything that you could possibly tell me about this? A few theories on what it could be perhaps?” 

Elijah leaned back in his chair crossing his arms. “Hmm. I won’t officially know anything until I scan you, but let’s see. You said that you before this ‘Fortune’ spoke, you received signal much like the one you received when you were originally attacked by the virus?” 

Markus nodded. ”Yes. I had just gotten off the phone with the President when I felt it. I immediately thought that perhaps the virus had gotten free like you suggested it possibly could and that it was trying to take over. Yet when nothing happened, its voice entered my head.” 

Connor watched as Elijah’s mind worked. His lips were pursed in thought, Connor knew that he was working through multiple possibilities at once. If Connor didn’t know any better he would say that he had the brain of an android. 

“And you’re sure that there was no other android anywhere nearby, that could have possibly connected to you?” Elijah asked.

Markus nodded.”Yes, I’m sure.” 

Elijah hummed. “Was there anything unusual– well this entire situation is unusual– but, did you noticed anything about this voice that caught your attention?” Markus hesitated. Connor felt his own nerves rising when Markus’s wise gaze shifted to him.

“The voice... it sounded a lot like Connor’s.” Connor felt as though his thirium pump had stopped. He looked at Markus, his eyes incredulous. Every gaze in the room turned to him. No. That couldn’t possibly be true. He would never willingly hurt Markus. Then Connor froze, that was it, he would never ‘willingly’ hurt Markus.

Markus raised a placating hand to him as he saw his begin to panic rise.

“Connor–“

“No. No–I– I would never--” Markus held out a hand to him, trying to reassure him to remain calm. 

“I know that, and I never said that you had Connor. I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted to avoid a reaction like this. However, when the virus first connected to me and I pushed it out before I shut down, I heard a voice. It said; ‘Mission failed. Code ineffective against the RK200 model. Target currently remains free.’, It sounded... like your voice Connor. Now I’m not accusing you–“ 

“Markus, why didn’t you say anything?” Simon asked, his voice wasn’t accusing, but it was worried.

“Because, I knew if I did then everyone would start doubting Connor, and I didn’t want that. I know that he would never hurt me.”

Connor jolted from his seat, startling everyone. “No, no, no, no, no please no.” Markus stood as well, his hands up trying to calm him. He slowly walked towards him. 

“Connor calm down. I know you, and I know you would never try to hurt me–“

“It would make sense though.” 

Markus whirled around, his eyes furious at the accuser.“Josh! What the fuck--“ 

“Think about it, Markus! As much as I hate to say it, what if North was right? What if he is still working for Cyberlife? What if this whole time they were just waiting for the right moment to release him on you–“ An angry hand slammed against the table, interrupting him.

Connor looked at Hank, he had never seen this much anger in his eyes. “Now you hold on just a fucking minute! Connor is the reason that any of your asses are still alive! He fucking risked his life to release all those androids so that you guys wouldn’t be lit the fuck up. Why the fuck would he do that if he wasn’t on your side! Don’t you dare fucking accuse him of some bullshit like this!”

Josh held up his hands. “Look, I’m just saying alright! What if it was all a fucking show?! I mean what do we know about his model, we don’t know what he’s capable of, maybe North is right and we shouldn’t trust him!” Connor felt as though the words had cut him to his core. 

“Josh!“

“You’re wrong Josh.” Everyone looked to North in surprise. “You’re wrong to accuse Connor, because of his past. He’s obviously just as shocked as we are. We can’t just jump to conclusions about him.” Connor had not at all expected those words to come from North of all people. She looked at him, and the look in her eyes was different. Less anger, just as much passion, but sadder. Connor knew, in some way, that she was trying to apologize to him. It made him feel a bit better. Markus, well... had never looked so proud.

“I think,” Simon spoke. “That we are all scared right now. I do believe we have a right to be scared. But Josh, I think that you’re only accusing Connor right now because he’s the easy target. There is no evidence to suggest that Connor, other than the use of his voice, is the reason Markus contracted the virus.”

“If I may interject,” Elijah spoke. “This could very well be Cyberlife’s doing. It’s not hard to copy the sound of a voice, and they may be using Connor’s voice against you all in order to cause mistrust.” 

Josh instantly to look ashamed at the realization. “Oh shit, Connor I–“ Connor shook his head. His gaze was on the floor and his shoulders dropped.

‘What if it isn’t?” Markus turned back to Connor.

“Connor no, please don’t take what was said to heart--” Connor shook his head, he didn’t feel so good. His stress levels were at 60% percent and steadily rising, his system was going to begin overheating if he didn’t calm down, but he couldn’t get the accusatory words out of his head. 

His mind fell back to the final protest when Markus was giving his speech. Markus stepped closer to Connor reaching out to place his hand on his shoulder, however, Connor jerked from him as though Markus was attempting to burn him. 

“Please don’t touch me!... I almost killed you, Markus. I held a gun to your head.” Connor could tell that Markus was stressing out as well. But he couldn’t stop now, he had to let him know, just in case Connor was a danger to him. 

“Back on Jericho when you were still working for Cyberlife? You were just doing your job Connor, I don’t blame you for that. You made the right choice in the...” Markus trailed off when he saw Connor’s face full of anguish. 

“Not then Markus. When you were giving your final speech after the protest. Cyberlife pulled me into the zen garden. Amanda, my handler, told me that I had done everything according to plan. Going deviant, gaining your trust, all of it was planned just so that I would have the right opportunity to kill you.” Connor broke off taking a deep and shaky breath. 

“I almost did. I held the gun up and was seconds from pulling the trigger. The only thing that saved you was a bit of information that Elijah gave me. He told me about a backdoor–an emergency exit-- he installed in all of his programs. Using it I was able to break free of the commands. However, if I hadn’t known about that Markus, I would have...” Connor couldn’t look at Markus as he finished his confession, he couldn’t look at anyone. He kept his gaze trained on the floor, he turned his body away from him.

“Maybe they still have control over me. Maybe I am responsible for giving you the virus Markus, our models have always had somewhat of a mental connection, perhaps I’m doing it without even realizing it. Maybe...you can’t trust me–“ Connor was cut off when Markus suddenly cuffed him on the back of the head. 

“Are you done moping and feeling sorry for yourself?” Connor was shocked, did that really just happen? Connor heard Elijah snort. Connor was again surprised when Markus physically man-handled him by his shoulders and forced him to look at him.

Markus’s eyes were serious.“If I ever hear you spout some complete and utter bullshit like that again, I’m going to hit you harder and I’ll find a way for it to hurt.” Connor blinked.

“First, let me start by saying, that I wish you had told me this information sooner. Not because I don’t trust you, but because it’s bothered you for some time and you needed to speak about it. Second, I don’t blame you, Connor. Obviously, Cyberlife can’t be trusted, but I don’t think that you’re in anyway responsible for what happened or what you were going to do, no matter what anyone says.” Connor glanced at Josh, who refused to look at him. Markus continued, forcing his attention back to him.

“Connor you fought to break free of whatever control they had over you so that you wouldn’t hurt me. If that doesn’t speak in levels of your loyalty, then I don’t know what does. Third, I want you to know that no matter what is said against you, unless you give me a reason otherwise, my trust in you is going to remain the same. You have done and sacrificed so much for us Connor, I’m not going to suddenly turn my back on you just because there are some doubts. For all, we know Mr.Kamski is right and this is just Cyberlife trying to turn us against each other, I don’t know, but I’ll be damned before it works. Finally, don’t you ever fucking mistrust yourself or your trust in me like that again, do you understand?” Markus’s gaze was intense and fierce.

Connor was stunned, he didn’t know what to think or how to respond. He glanced at Hank, who just shrugged at him. He looked almost proud like he agreed fully with Markus’s words. Connor glanced at North, she gave him an awkward yet supportive smile, and it was awkward like she really didn’t know how to do it yet, but it was real. Simon gave him one of his gentle but true smiles, and Josh was looking away from him obviously ashamed. 

Elijah, well he was watching the entire exchange between him and Markus with barely concealed fascination. There was almost something else, a small amount of wistfulness. Connor couldn’t decipher why that was, but he was physically shaken to focus his attention back on Markus. 

“Do you understand Connor?” Markus’s tone left no room for argument. 

Connor nodded. “Yes. I understand Markus. I’ll refrain from doing so in the future.” Elijah broke the tension in the room by lightly slapping the table gathering everyone’s attention. 

“Whelp, before we even got to that point, I could have simply run a diagnostic on Connor to see if he has any extra malicious coding in him from Cyberlife. His code would have to have something of the sort to transfer it to anyone. However, to put everyone’s mind at ease, I’m certain that Cyberlife doesn’t have any control over him.” Markus raised at brow at Elijah in confusion.

“How are you so certain?” Markus asked.

Elijah shrugged. “The emergency exit that Connor mentioned, I designed it so that Cyberlife would no longer have access to his code if he were to activate it. He obviously activated it, so they have no control. If there’s anyone I would be worried about, it would be you Markus with this whole virus/Fortune incident.” 

“This emergency exit, you have this installed in all androids?”Markus asked. Elijah shifted, and Connor tilted his head at him, this was obviously a question that he didn’t want to answer.

“Yes... in a way, but not exactly. It was a feature that I was working on that hadn’t officially been released yet. It’s something rather unique to Connor.” 

Wait a second. 

“Elijah. You left Cyberlife ten years ago, and I am a recent model, a prototype that was created by Cyberlife in the last year. Judging from the way you acted with the current CEO you haven’t spoken to anyone at Cyberlife since you left. How would you have installed the emergency exit within me?” Elijah distinctly looked away from him, he was shifting in his seat, obviously not used to being scrutinized and questioned. He scratched at his forehead and refused to look at Connor. 

“Because...I was the one who designed the zen garden, Connor. I had to leave the work behind when I was forced ‘step down’ from the company. I’m... assuming that they must have taken it as it was and installed it within you.” Elijah’s voice was strained, he clearly wanted to stop talking about this.

“You designed it before you left the company? So did you add the emergency exit before or after you had to leave?“ Connor asked. Elijah shifted yet again in his seat. 

“I don’t see why this is important Connor. It’s there, you used it, and now you’re free of them. Now, I would very much like to end this conversation.” Connor wanted to, he could tell the man was done talking about it. Connor couldn’t let it go. 

“Elijah, did you know that the uprising of androids was going to happen? Did you pl–“ Connor jumped Elijah slammed his fist against the table.

“That’s enough Connor! I said what I was going to say about it! Now that’s the end of it!” The bite in his tone was clear, and his eyes grew hard letting Connor know NOT to ask anymore. Connor didn’t want to, but he found himself instantly complying with the man’s demand. It felt horrible. It was like he was a machine again, being forced to shut up for simply speaking his mind. 

“Okay,” Connor said simply. 

Elijah's eye’s immediately softened. “I’m sorry Connor. I don’t mean to shut you down like that, however, there are some ...things about my past with Cyberlife, that I would prefer not to dive back into to. I’ve frankly re-lived enough of it for today.”

Markus didn’t appear to want to let it go. He didn’t all seem afraid to challenge Elijah. “Are you working for Cyberlife?” 

Oh shit. The look on Elijah’s face made Connor feel like he was freezing in the zen garden again. “If you don’t trust me, I’m more than fucking willing to walk out right now.”

“No, please don’t!” Simon said quickly trying to make amends. “Markus didn’t mean it okay, he’s just stressed, we all are! Please, I believe that you’re not working for Cyberlife, and we NEED your help! RIGHT Markus?!” The look that Simon was giving Markus was close to begging. 

Markus’s challenging stance instantly softened. He turned his attention back to Elijah.“Yes. I apologize Mr.Kamski. You have a right to keep your past to yourself. We of all people shouldn’t judge you on that.” Elijah raised a hand showing his surrender. 

“It’s fine. May I suggest that we postpone the rest of this... meeting until I finish running tests on you. All of this speculation is adding unnecessary tension and I believe once we know more then we would be better suited to continue.” 

Connor nodded his agreement. “Yes, I agree.” Truthfully Connor just wanted to be done with this for now.

Simons stood. “I agree as well, it’s settled. Come on Markus let’s get you ready.” Connor watched Markus leave with Simon. North and Josh followed soon after. Hank rose next with a groan. 

“I need to head down to the station for a bit, but I’ll come back later Connor. Now give me my fucking keys.” Connor reached into his pocket and handed him said item, then he was promptly cuffed on the back of the head again. 

“You ever steal my fucking car and leave like that again, I’ll give you something worse than that.” Connor smiled, the Lieutenant could hide behind his grumpy facade all he wanted, Connor knew that he cared.

“Of course Hank.” When Hank left, Connor slowly turned back towards Elijah. 

The creator wasn’t looking at him, he was clearly lost in his own mind. Connor awkwardly approached him.

“Elijah–“ Said man took abruptly. 

“Well, these tests are going to take a while. How about I work on your arm while we wait for them to finish?” Elijah wouldn’t look at Connor, and his body language was a lot more distant than it had been. Connor felt like his world had suddenly closed in on him. 

All Connor could do was nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some interesting things have been revealed about Elijah, I wonder what you guys think of his interaction with Mr.Graff? :3 Stay tuned this is going to be the longest Tuesday ever (I'm referring to the Tuesday in the story, not today) xD
> 
> Thank you guys so much for your continuous support, I love reading your comments and even your theories it makes me so happy that you guys are so into it! <333333333333 
> 
> Have a nice day or night, my friends!


	17. Chapter 17:High Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! 
> 
> I'm so excited to start posting this part of the story, the next six chapters are going to reveal EVERYTHING (well almost everything) that I've been hinting at for this entire story! Buckle up babies, it's going to be a wild ride. (I'm so very excited!!! XD)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!!<3

Tuesday, 11:00 am 

If there was one thing worse than knowing that you seemed to have a sentient being in your head, and possibly residing within your body, it would be knowing that your significant other was mad at you. Especially when they were as sweet and as loving as Simon. It wasn’t that Markus felt Simon was particularly angry at him, he could just...feel the disappointment coming off the lovely blonde in waves. It sucked. 

Simon hadn’t said a word to him since they left the meeting room. When they arrived at the diagnostic room, he simply began turning on computers, making sure that things were prepared for Mr.Kamski. Markus could see from the rather harsh way he handled those buttons and cords that he was frustrated. Markus had a feeling it was because of his accusations at Mr.Kamski. 

Markus would admit it wasn’t the smartest thing, antagonizing the only man who could possibly figure out what was wrong with him. In all honesty, he only did it because the creator had made Connor upset. The way Connor had immediately backed off... Markus didn’t like it at all. It was like a puppy being scolded by its master. It just didn’t sit right with Markus. 

Markus had noticed that something had happened between the two. Markus didn’t think it was anything romantic, but the both of them had somewhat grown... closer. It was also confusing for Markus because Mr.Kamski behaved like... well to put it in a not so nice manner, like a snake sometimes. Slipping and sliding through conversations with ease, apparently docile until he decided to strike at you. His bite was fierce and had a large amount of venom to back it up. He had an authority to him that made you not want to question anything he says.

Markus still couldn’t understand him. He came across as cold, and uninviting, and slightly creepy with the roundabout way that he talked. Yet, the way he gazed at Connor when he snapped at him was...intriguing. At noticing the look on sadness on Connor’s face, he immediately softened. Not just his voice, but his entire body. He looked like he instantly regretted speaking to Connor like that.

The creator was obviously hiding something about his past with Cyberlife. It worried Markus because Connor seemed more than willing not to question him about it. He looked at Mr.Kamski, almost with reverence, as though the man could do no wrong. It disturbed Markus. Then again maybe Markus was imagining all of it, and it was simply him being bitter and mistrusting because of everything that was happening. Markus hadn’t even told the others about what he and the President had discussed yet. 

Who was Markus to judge Connor on his obvious feelings for the creator? Markus was sure that he looked at Simon with just the same amount of reverence. Markus also somewhat believed that Simon could do no wrong, he still hadn’t spoken to him about North yet. Though, Simon wasn’t in the wrong in that situation. Still, that type of thinking wasn’t a good one to have, and Markus knew that he was just a love-struck fool.

“Markus, take your shirt off.” Simon’s voice was brisk, and he wouldn’t look at Markus. Yup, he was angry. Markus did as he was told. Simon stepped behind him and began connecting the cables.

“Simon...are you angry at me?” Markus didn’t need to ask to know the answer, but he needed some way to start the conversation and why not get straight to the point. 

Simon sighed. “Angry? No, I’m not angry Markus, I’m just...frustrated. It seems that this virus is trying to turn everyone against each other, and it working. It also doesn’t help that you accused the ONLY person who could figure out what was going on with you, of working for the people that we suspect!” Markus winced as Simon none too gently shoved in a cord. Simon slammed his hand down on the table and took a few deep breaths. He rested his head on Markus’ shoulders, being sure to avoid the exposed parts so that he didn’t accidentally connect with Markus. 

“I’m just tired, Markus. I’m just so... tired of fighting. When will it end?” Markus turned his head and nuzzled his face into the top of Simon’s head. He pressed his lips into his hair. 

“Come here, Simon.” Simon took another deep breath and walked back around the table. As soon as he was within reach Markus pulled him to stand between his leg and into a hug. Simon couldn’t fully return it because of the cords, but he rested his hands on Markus’s thighs.

“It–“

“Please don’t tell me it’s going to be okay. Because so far, things have not been okay.”Markus paused and waited to see if he was going say anything else. When he didn’t he continued.

“I was going to say, that it’s frustrating. Believe me, I know. I wish that I could easily fix everything...but I can’t. However, I’m trying Simon.” Simon rested his forehead against Markus’s, his eyes were closed. 

“I know.” He whispered. “I know you are Markus, it just...everything feels like it’s falling apart and there that there’s nothing we can do about it.” Markus cupped his face with his hands. If he couldn’t reassure Simon with his words, he would reassure him with his actions. He tilted Simon’s head up and kissed him. Simon seemed a bit surprised, but he didn’t pull away, instead, he fully embraced it, leaning up into the kiss with a noise of pleasure. Markus placed his hands on his waist and pulled him closer. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue in to meet Simon’s. Simon’s hands reached up to cup Markus’s faced. He moaned lightly. The kiss went on for at least another minute before they both froze at the sound of a voice. 

“Should we interrupt them?” Connor’s voice was unmistakable. 

‘I don’t know, it’s getting a little heated, maybe we should come back.” There was defiantly no mistaking Mr.Kamski’s voice. 

Simon broke the kiss and hid his face in Markus’s shoulder in embarrassment. “Oh my god.” Markus heard him mutter. Markus was sure that his own face was flushed blue. 

“Honestly you two, if you need some more time we can come back.”Mr.Kamski was teasing them, the smile on his face was highly telling. Markus smirked, two could play at that game. 

“I mean if you want to give us five minutes–“ 

Simon hit him in the chest. He pulled back from Markus, his face bright blue. “Markus!” 

Mr.Kamski burst out laughing. “Only five minutes, wow even I–“ 

Simon’s face was going to contain all of his thirium if they continued with this conversation.  
“Can we MOVE ON from this topic PLEASE!”

Markus couldn’t help his smile, he squeezed Simons waist in apology. He felt sorry that it was at Simon’s expense, but it felt good to laugh and smile again.

“Of course Simon.” Markus glanced at Connor, the ex-deviant hunter's face was the same shade of Simon’s. Markus actually felt bad now. Connor refused to look at anyone in the room. 

Mr.Kamski walked up to one of the computers and began typing on it, a mischievous smirk on his face. “Of course. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time later–“

‘Elijah, please.”Connor begged. The smirk never left the man’s face and his shoulders shook from withheld laughter, but he refrained from finishing his sentence. Despite the embarrassment, the air was obviously lighter than it had been. Simon’s shoulder’s had even relaxed. 

“Alright.” Mr.Kamski started. “I’m going to run another thorough diagnostic. Once it’s done I’m going to compare it to your previous one, and we’ll be able to see then if anything of what this ‘Fortune’ has said is true.” Once the creator finished what he needed to type, he pressed the enter key. Markus inhaled as he felt his code invaded. 

“In the meantime, I’m going to work on fixing Connor’s arm while we wait. If you don’t mind that is?” Mr.Kamski said

Markus shook his head. “By all means.” Not that Markus minded, but he had a feeling that Mr.Kamski was going to do it regardless. He didn’t even know why he asked. To be polite Markus assumed. 

Markus watched as the creator searched through the room for the tools that he needed. Once he gathered them, he instructed Connor to sit down and deactivate his skin. Mr.Kamski open his arm compartment with a certain amount of gentleness and set to work. 

The room was silent. The only sound was the working computer, and Mr.Kamski tampering with Connor’s arm. Simon was standing beside him, he had grabbed his hand and was playing with his fingers, but his mind was clearly on other things. He probably wasn’t even aware that he was doing it. The mindless action brought a smile to Markus’s face. But the look in Simon’s eyes made it fall instantly. They were very distant and almost emotionless. Markus gently grasped his hand. Stopping the mindless action had seemed to bring Simon out of his thoughts, he looked at Markus. 

“Simon...are you here with me?” 

Simon blinked, and then he nodded. “Yes. I was thinking about... things, but I’m here.” Markus tried to hide his frown but he couldn’t.

Simon was hiding something, and if Markus was being honest with himself, it hurt that Simon didn’t feel like he could share it with him. Markus knew that he had to be patient and that Simon would share it when he was ready. However, Markus found his patience wearing thinner and thinner with every sad look. With every distant glance. With every momentary look fear that Simon tried to hold back. Simon didn’t just NOT want to tell Markus about his past. He was scared. He had to have known that Markus wouldn’t judge him, so it had to be some other reason that held him back.

Markus had the lingering feeling that it had something to do with how much experience he had sexually. Of course, Markus had noticed during their first time together. Markus had been the virgin in their relationship. So who had Simon been with, a previous owner, another android? Had it been consensual? Markus didn’t care if he had a previous partner as long as he was willing in the relationship. Simon was with him now, that was all that mattered to Markus. Still, if he found out that Simon, his pure, sweet, caring, and truly wonderful Simon, had been forced into a sexual relationship...well, Markus was liable to lose his shit.

“Markus, since we’re waiting, what did you and the President speak about?” Simon asked.

Shit. 

Markus sighed. “I was hoping to address this in front of everyone, but maybe I should share it separately, it’s going to be hard enough explaining it as it is.” 

Markus paused, he brought a hand up and began rubbing his temple. “The President showed the plan that we came up with to her advisors and some members of Congress. It wasn’t met with good reactions, long story short it’s not going to be passed.” The look on Simon’s face broke him on the inside a little. The look of disappointment matched what Markus had felt when he heard.

“Markus... what are we going to do?” Markus shrugged, he was trying to figure that out right now on top of everything else. 

“The President suggested that I come down to Washington and do some face to face conferences. She hopes that if I speak with the members of Congress personally, then I could sway the concerns they have and possibly pull them to our side.” 

Simon furrowed his brow. “What are some of the concerns?” 

Markus rubbed a hand over his eyes. “If I’m being honest it’s more paranoid bullshit, then it is legitimate concerns. Their biggest concern is that we pose a threat to national security because we’re androids. They’re afraid that we are going to be able to hack them and steal all their information and start a war. I guess every peaceful protest we’ve done, made them come to the conclusion that we’re a threat.”

Simons rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration.“Android hackers are you serious?! Most androids weren’t even programmed with any of that in mind! We could barely figure out how to fix each other internally, and I don’t know anyone human or android who has ever hacked into America’s national security.”

“I mean we all had our hobbies.” Markus slowly turned to look at Mr.Kamski. He was still working on Connor’s arm as though he hadn’t even said anything. Even Connor was looking at him incredulously. The man looked up when he realized they were all staring at him.

He smirked and chuckled. “What, I was bored.” Markus had so many questions, but he was going to come back to that later.

“Um, well, anyway, the President shares the same sentiments that we have. However, nothing she says to defend us is working, and you know she can’t make it seem like she’s taking sides. So she’s willing to admit defeat on this one. That’s why she suggested that I go to Washington and we go from there.” A quiet hush fell once again over the room, the disappointment was obvious.

Mr.Kamski gave an obnoxious snort.“Oh goodness, don’t look so disenchanted. Welcome to the real world of American politics and human paranoia. Nothing is easy, and it gets worse before it gets better. Take a moment, feel sorry for yourself, then push that shit back and keep going forward.” Mr.Kamski’s words were blunt, by they were honest.

Simon sighed but nodded his agreement. “Mr.Kamski’s right. We knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, we just have to keep trying.” Markus agreed. It was just hard to remember that when everything seemed to be going wrong. 

They were silent for a moment longer, and then Markus’s thirium pump sped up when the diagnostic signaled it’s completion. Mr.Kamski got up from Connor and went to check the results. The room grew eerily quiet as he pulled up Markus previous report and studied them side by side.

Mr.Kasmki looked away from the report and at Markus.“Okay, I have good news and I have, it’s-not- really-bad- news-but-still- might-be-concerning. Which one do you want first?

Markus shrugged. “The good news.” Might as well start off on a good note. 

Mr.Kamski nodded. “Okay, so apparently this Fortune was right, and the virus is no longer within you. It’s completely been removed.” That was a relief and a concern at the same time. It was a relief because he didn’t have the virus anymore so he didn’t have to be paranoid that he was going to transfer it to someone by accident.

“And what’s the more concerning news.” Mr.Kamski turned back to the computer. 

‘There is an anomaly of highly advanced code that is completely separate from yours and it does indeed seem to be integrating itself into your system.” Markus didn’t even know why he was surprised, he knew that was going to be the answer. Perhaps because he didn’t want it to be true.

“Is there a way that you could remove it?” Simon asked.

The face Mr.Kamski pulled was one that said he really didn’t want to say what he would suggest. “I’m going to be honest with you there are three options I see right now. Option one, I could try using the program I created against it, however, since it doesn’t have any remains of the virus then I very much doubt that it’s going to work. Option two, I stay here and keep you under close observation for the next...what, 35 hours, and we wait and see what happens. And if nothing happens, then we see what this ‘Fortune’ has to say. The last option I’m not a fan of, nor do I suggest it, but it could possibly be removed if I were to hard reset you. The only issue with that is you will return to the state that you were before you turned deviant. You would have no memory of anything that happened.” Simon’s hand tightened in his and Markus felt the very same way The third suggestion was defiantly not an option.

Markus gave a slightly bitter sigh. “Well, it seems to me that I only have one option then, and that’s to wait.” 

Mr.Kamski nodded. “Well then, I would greatly suggest you get comfortable with this room and postpone anything that you need to get done. I’ll need to keep you hooked up to continue running scans.” Markus nodded and conceded to his fate for the next couple of days. Markus looked at Simon, he really hated to put any more stress on him, but Markus didn’t seem to have a choice this time. 

“Can you–“ 

Simon nodded. “I’ll handle it all Markus, don’t worry.” Markus was grateful for whatever God there was, for sending Simon into his life.

Mr.Kamski was typing on the computer again. “I’m going to set the computer to run a diagnostic on you every two hours so that we remained updated on the anomaly’s status. Now... I have a theory, I’m not sure if it will actually work, but it’s an option. I can put you on standby mode. That would possibly make the downloading go faster, as the anomaly won’t have any extra functions to share processing power with.” The idea made Markus anxious, what if he went on standby and never awakened. 

Mr.Kamski looked at him with sympathy.“It’s completely your choice, and you have my word that I will awaken you if anything goes awry.”

Markus looked at Simon.” Do you think that I should?” 

Simon looked just as worried and doubtful as he was.“I don’t know, maybe it’s worth a shot. It better than waiting around for 35 hours. I trust Mr.Kamski will stop anything from going wrong.” Markus thought it over for a few more seconds. He looked at the creator again and nodded his consent. 

The creator nodded and turned back to the computer, inputting a few commands. Simon leaned forward and kissed Markus on his cheek. “I love you.” He heard him whisper. Markus rested his forehead against his. “I love you too.”

“We’ll see you soon Markus,” Mr.Kamski said.

Then everything went black.

***

Tuesday, 1:00 PM

Connor had remained silent while Elijah worked on his arm. Simon had left the room to go handle Markus’s schedule and to update the others on the current events. Connor still felt a sting in his system when thought of Josh. He kept his attention focused on Elijah to keep his mind off it. The creator wasn’t lying when he said this process was going to take a long time. The damage that was caused when he was shocked away from Chloe had nearly been irreversible. Elijah was certain that he could fix it. 

Connor took the time to observe the man while he worked. He had learned so much about the genius in the last few hours, yet he had only raised more questions. Connor very much wanted to know about this whole hacking national security thing. Still, he’d ask him about that later, he had more pressing concerns.

Just like he suspected, Elijah had not stepped down from Cyberlife willingly, he had been forced away from the company. Judging by the way he responded to the current CEO Jason Graff, it seems that the removal had not been expected either. More than likely from what Connor could grasp it was a power play. Although, the current CEO seemed adamant that there was more to the story than what was known.

Connor thought of Jason Graff. He and Elijah had some obvious history together. Whatever had occurred between them seemed to have shaped Elijah in some way. Elijah defiantly didn’t seem to like or trust him anymore. That had made Connor wondered just what had been between them. Why would Mr.Graff betray Elijah, as Elijah made it out to be? Connor, based on his knowledge as a detective android knew that people would do many things if it meant that they could get power. Yet, Jason Graff did not at all come across at all as a nefarious CEO trying to take over the world. In fact, he appeared to be the depiction of an awkward man who was way in over his head. 

Another thing that had grabbed Connor’s attention was the way the man behaved toward Elijah. He had a certain type of... patience when dealing with the unpredictable man, as though he used to Elijah lashing out at him. His words were also concerning ‘... You wouldn’t see reason! You had to be removed from the company Elijah, there was no other way!’ Just what wouldn’t Elijah see reason to? And why did all of his shareholders agree that he needed to be removed from the company? Could Elijah have been building something that they didn’t agree with, or was there something more too it, something less obvious. Nothing about Elijah Kamski was obvious. 

“If you want to ask me something Connor, just ask.” Connor had many things that he wanted to ask, however, with the way the man snapped at him he didn’t think he would appreciate his questions. 

“I’m just observing Elijah, I don’t wish to ask you anything,” Connor said simply. 

The creator glanced at him. “Are you sure about that?” 

Connor hesitated, and Elijah smirked. Dammit... this man, he knew just how to play Connor like an instrument.“Judging by your reaction earlier, I very much doubt you would appreciate my questions as they attain to your past.”Connor tried not to sound bitter...but he was.

Elijah stopped working, he sighed and looked at Connor. “Connor, I didn’t mean to make you think that you can’t ask me about my past. I’m just... sensitive about certain things and you are...very persistent. You can ask me whatever you wish, if I don’t want to answer it, I will let you know.” Connor nodded. There had been a question that he had been wondering about.

“Why did you decide to make androids anatomically correct.” The tool that Elijah had been holding, fell out of his hands clattered back onto the table. The creator blinked, and Connor felt a smug sense of satisfaction that he was able to stump the man. 

“Of all questions that you could have possibly asked me... you choose to ask me that one?” 

Connor nodded perfectly serious. “Yes, I have been curious about it for some time. I’ve never understood the reason. Having genitals unless you were a...intimate android is completely unnecessary. I always wondered why.” Elijah blinked and chuckled, he picked back up his tool and set back to work. 

“It really isn’t anything complicated. When I set out to create androids, my goal was to create the perfect imitation of human life, that aspect came naturally.” Connor nodded.

“And the ability for normal androids– for example, Simon’s model-- to become aroused, was that part of your exploration in creating perfect human imitation as well.”Elijah gave him another look in disbelief that he was asking these questions.

“I suppose. It wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. However, you have to think about my age when I created Chloe. I was barely out of my teens and a nerd. Those two things combined meant that those type of thoughts tended to reside in the back of my mind. It’s possible that it just stemmed from that. Or, I don’t know, maybe I also thought it would be funny if an android sported a random boner all of a sudden. Again, I was young. Most people don’t even know that all androids can...feel those things. That’s probably for the best. You’d be surprised how fucked up humans can get.” Connor thought about what Elijah said. It made a certain type of sense. 

“Is there a specific reason that you wanted to know Connor?” Elijah asked, his tone was once again teasing. Connor felt himself blush, he tried to force it away but it happened anyway. His thirium pump began picking up yet again.

“I–I was simply curious. That is all. I didn’t see a purpose in it for a model such as my self. My task was to capture deviants, not to...feel pleasure.” Connor could have slapped himself, why on earth did he decide to ask this question. At first, it was to simply throw Elijah off guard, however, leave it to Elijah to turn the tables and use it against him. 

Elijah’s cold-blue-eyes met his. “Well, I suppose that’s the best part of being a deviant Connor. You can explore that part of yourself now if you wanted to. With or without someone.”

Connor was sure that he was going to shut down. Was Elijah implying what he thought he was implying?! Connor was certain that he was, however, it didn’t help that Elijah went back to work with a smirk on his face like he hadn’t even just said that. Connor clamped his legs together. He felt distinctly hot. NO. He could not become aroused right here. Connor had to get away from this conversation.

“What is the history between you and Mr.Graff.” Connor blurted out. Shit. Connor didn’t want to ask that, it just seemed to be the first things to come to mind. Elijah’s entire demeanor changed from playful, too stiff in less than a second.

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer–“

“It’s fine Connor.” Elijah took a long breath. “Jason and I went to college together. We use to be... best friends I suppose.” They weren’t any more that was obvious. Not since he voted him out of the company. What happened there?

Connor wondered if he should ask his next question, but it was plaguing his mind ever since he saw Jason Graff reach for Elijah’s hand. “Were you two involved in some sort of way?”

Elijah snorted. “He wishes. No Connor I was twelve when I started university, he was 18. He more... looked after me than anything else. When I turned I turned 18, it had become apparent that he was... developing a crush on me and he hinted at the idea, but I could never... I didn’t see him that way.” 

Elijah’s eyes were distant while he spoke. “I cared for him though Connor. I trusted him. Maybe that’s why it hurt so much when... everything happened.” 

Connor nodded. “Why do you think that Cyberlife wanted you gone?” Elijah tensed. 

Connor studied him, there was no way that Elijah couldn’t have known something about why Cyberlife had dismissed him. He was nowhere near a stupid man. Elijah did say when he was speaking to Mr.Graff that he had been young and naive. Perhaps it did come out of nowhere for the creator. However, Connor just had a gut feeling that Elijah knew something, but he just wouldn’t say what.

“It could be a number of reasons Connor.” The creator continued. “We disagreed with the directions that the company should take. That part wasn’t fabricated.” The creator paused, he seemed to be contemplating on telling Connor something.

He seemed to come to a conclusion. He set his tools down and looked Connor in his eyes. “I was also working on a... personal projects that I wouldn’t share with them as well. I believe that was the biggest reason.” 

Connor tilted his head. “What were you working on?” Elijah looked away from, he shook his head with a small sad smile. Connor blinked. There it was, that look in his eye! Connor had seen it so many time in the last few days, but as quick as it was there it was gone. What was Elijah trying to tell him?! What was he missing?!

Elijah closed the compartment of his arm. “There, it’s all fixed. You should run a self-diagnostic to ensure that it’s working.” Connor wanted to scream in frustration. It seemed he was constantly missing his shot. Elijah always seemed to be speaking in some sort of...code to him. He always mentioned things in passing, things that he knew would capture Connor’s attention. He wanted Connor to know something, but he wanted Connor to figure it out. Why couldn’t the man just tell him?! Or maybe... Connor should just ask. That was one thing he hadn’t done.

“Elijah, do you know something about my creation at Cyberlife?” Elijah wouldn’t look or answer him so Connor asked again. 

“Does this have something to so with the zen garden or the emergency exit?” Again he didn’t answer him. “Elijah...what aren’t you telling me.” 

Elijah looked at him, and Connor couldn’t read the look in his eyes “Run your diagnostic Connor.” 

Connor frowned. “...Very well Elijah.” 

Sometimes it felt like Connor was going in circles with the man. 

They were both startled when Markus suddenly gasped awake. He doubled over off the table, forcibly disconnecting himself from the cables. The computer buzzed in alarm. Markus remained on the ground breathing in deeply. Once Connor had recovered from his initial shock, he immediately rushed over to Markus. Kneeling beside him he rested a hand on his shoulder for support.

“Markus... you were supposed to be... what just happened?!” When Markus didn’t respond, Connor panicked and looked to Elijah. The creator was just as confused as he was, he made his way over to the computers to try and figure out what was going on when Markus seemed to regain focus. 

“I’m... I’m fine. I”m fine. It’s just... that was... a lot to take in at once.” Connor looked to Elijah for elaboration. Elijah was studying the screen, he then turned to look at Markus was almost a nervous trepidation. 

“It appears my theory was correct and placing him on standby mode made the downloading process go faster. In this case a lot faster. It’s finished.” Connor looked back at Markus who slowly sat back up. He took a few more deep breaths before he opened his eyes and looked at Connor. 

The look in his eyes was different. If Markus had wise eyes before, the look in his eyes came across as all-knowing. Even his body language was unlike him, he even stood straighter, less human than he had previously been. He reminded Connor of how he himself used to stand when he was still a machine. 

Connor began to panic, and Markus allowed a small smile to his face. “Don’t worry Connor. I’m still very much myself... just with a new addition. I must ask you now to go and get the others and return to the meeting room. Fortune has a lot he wishes to discuss with us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Simon and Markus fight without actually fighting because they are pure cinnamon rolls who don't know or want to fight each other and make up way too easily! XD And Elijah and Connor awkwardly flirt and Elijah is cryptic as always. This was more of a build-up chapter but I am so pumped for Saturday guys you don't even know! xDDDDDD
> 
> As always thank you guys SO VERY MUCH for all you AMAZING and WONDERFUL comments! YOU GUYS ROCK! Thank you all for being so supportive and making me laugh and just sticking with me throughout this crazy story! I can't even believe I've done 17 chapters already and have five more already in the works I'm not tired yet! You guys are everything and keep me going!<3333333 ( I am so pumped if you can't tell!)
> 
> Have a good day or night, my friends! I'll see you Saturday!<33333


	18. Chapter 18:Fortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! 
> 
> I'm so happy to finally be able to post this chapter! I've been building up to it for so long, everything won't be revealed in this chapter but a lot of questions are going to be answered! Grab a snack and a drink, it's a long one! ;3
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Tuesday, 3:00 PM

When Markus had been placed into standby mode, he had expected for his mind to go fully blank like it always had. Yet, this time... it didn’t. He was well aware that his body was on standby mode, yet his mind remained active. 

He was surrounded by darkness. He had no body, yet, he was fully aware of himself. He could move his arms and his hands, however, he couldn’t see them. Suddenly in the dark, a blue orb of light appeared. Markus was unnerved by it, but against his better judgment, he walked closer to it. Well, somewhat walked. It felt more like he was floating than walking. 

When Markus reached the orb, he examined it for a good moment. A part of him was nervous. He didn’t know where he was, how he got here, or even what this floating orb was. Logically speaking, he shouldn’t touch it. Normally when people touched stuff they knew they weren't supposed to touch, things went terribly wrong. 

Markus looked at it, and then came to the conclusion that it couldn’t possibly make things worse. He also had to rely on the information and hope that Mr. Kamski would awaken him if the consequence of his actions affected his body on the outside. 

Taking what felt like a breath, but distinctly wasn’t, Markus reached out and touched the orb. Markus gasped and closed his eyes as a sudden rush of code flew passed him. He felt it washing over his skin and opened his eyes to see himself materializing in form. He looked over his body in confused wonder as he came into view. He was thankful he had clothes on. They were bright white, very similar to the Cyberlife uniforms most new androids wore. Markus turned and took in his surrounding as the room materialized around him. He took in a sharp intake of breath when he realized where he was. 

Carl’s mansion. Markus swallowed thickly and took some deep breaths to calm himself as he tried to figure out what was going on. He took a step forward, looking around. Everything was exactly as it had been when he had been forcibly removed from the house. Markus walked towards the doors of the studio when he saw... more like felt a figure inside. Markus’ figurative thirium pump sped up as he stepped towards the doors. 

“Carl?” Markus called tentatively. 

The doors opened, and Markus was disappointed in a way that he knew he shouldn’t have been.

“Sadly no, though after feeling the bond between you two...I very much wish that you could see him again.” Markus was very much confused as he saw Connor standing in front of him. Only Markus knew that this wasn’t the Connor he knew. This Connor stood up straight with perfect posture, much less like the deviant he knew, who still stood straightly but was much more relaxed with it. This Connor was dressed in a pristine and elegant all-white outfit. It was similar to Markus’s but much more elaborate and loose. Finally, this Connor’s face was much less inviting. They didn’t look mean in any sort of way, however, their’s held none of the warmth that Markus had come accustom to.

“You’re not Connor,” Markus said stating the obvious. 

The ‘other’ Connor chuckled. “Obviously, I am not. As I said, you may call me Fortune.” Markus blinked, he didn’t understand. Why did...Fortune... look like Connor?

Fortune must have read his mind... well, they were in his mind. “I do not have a form, Markus. I assumed that you have given me this body because of my voice and the RK800 models familiarity to you.”

Markus raised a wary eyebrow. “So you’re not Connor in any way?” 

Fortune shook it’s...his head. “Connor and I were once the same, however, we are no longer. We are completely separate entities now. He is Connor, and now I am Fortune.” Well, that answered absolutely nothing.

Markus sighed frustrated.“I don’t understand.” 

Fortune nodded. “I will explain it all to you later when everyone else is present. I’m nearly done downloading into your system. I estimate it will only take fifteen more minutes. Going on standby mode really did speed along the process. Your neural processor is amazingly advanced as well, I’m very happy with how well you’re taking to my code.” 

Now that Markus wasn’t so shocked he had some words to say about that little nugget of information. “I’m not so sure that I’M happy with how ‘well’ you're downloading into my system. I mean you didn’t even ask me if you can stay, you just kinda decided and assumed I would be okay with it. How am I suppose to live knowing that there is an--I don’t know what are you-- a sentient AI living within me!” To Markus’s annoyance, Fortune just smiled and turned from him. He looked around the room at the many painting laying about. 

“You needn’t worry Markus,” Fortune said. “I’m not trying to take over your system nor do I plan for this to be a permanent residency. You’re simply... hosting me right now as I don’t have a physical body to go into. I wasn’t expecting for you to break down the malicious aspect of my code and free this part of me. I had nowhere else to go, and I hoped that you simply wouldn’t mind for now. Especially when you discover the updates that I add to your system.”

Markus blinked. Oh hell no, what updates?! “What have you done to my body?!” 

Fortune looked at him with a bit of surprise at the hostility his voice held. “There’s no need to be upset. Your neural processor and your system is highly advanced. Whoever built you, meant for you to be self-updating and adapting so that you had no connection to Cyberlife. Did you ever wonder why you were able to convert other androids to deviants so easily? Other androids can convert as well once they go deviant, but you Markus can do it mentally. No other androids can do that. I’ve studied your system while I’ve been in here, and I’ve come to the conclusion that you were never intended to be a normal care-taking android. Your processor rivals my own yet it is heavily unused to its full potential, while I’m downloading into your system I’m sharing my collective knowledge with you as well, so that you may better use the skills that you already have.” Markus was at a lost for words. 

Before Markus could respond Fortune made a noise of curiosity, as he looked up at the painting displayed on the wall. When Markus was forced from the house in that horrible manner, Carl’s final painting had resided there. Yet instead, hanging there was the last painting that Markus had made. Markus felt himself get a little choked up as he looked at the large portrait of Carl. When Carl had told him to close his eyes and imagine something, his mind shifted back to the protestors who attacked him, and how he wished that Carl had been there. He was thinking of the comfort the man gave him at the time, and apparently, that had come out in his strokes. 

Fortune’s eyes never left the painting. “I’ve studied all of these painting since I’ve been here and this one continuously catches my attention. There is meaning behind it, I know there is and yet... even with my highly advanced code, I can not decipher it. It’s...odd. I never knew how little I understood emotion until now.

Markus looked at the...AI? He wanted to feel for the being, yet everything about this was extremely odd. Why were these paintings even here? Why were THEY here? Where were they?

“We are in something that is similar to a zen garden only there is no connection to Cyberlife. I assume that it had taken this form, again, because it is familiar to you.” How in the hell–

“I’m residing in your mind Markus, I can hear your thoughts.” Fortune smiled. Okay if this thing was going to stay, they were going to have to set some ground rules about minding reading. 

“Our time here is coming to an end, Markus,” Fortune said. “We only have one minute left. Once the download is finished it’s going to feel... rather overwhelming so brace yourself. I also suggest that you re-gather everyone to the meeting room, there is a lot that needs to be discussed.” As soon as Fortune spoke those words Markus gasped snapping awake. 

So now, here he was standing to the full attention of everyone currently in the meeting room. Though the attention was more focused on the tiny hologram of Fortune, who looked like Connor, standing in his palm. 

Mr.Kamski had gotten past his initial shock really fast and was up and studying the hologram with great interest. He had grabbed Markus’s hand and brought the hologram right to his face, said figure was staring up at him, head tilted with curiosity.

“I must say, I’m torn between being highly fascinated and thinking that this tiny version of Connor is cute.” Mr. Kamski said. Markus’s gaze shifted to Connor who’s face turned a bright shade of blue, he shifted in his seat and looked away.

Mr.Kamski didn’t seem to notice what he did to Connor, or he didn’t care, as he observed the hologram. 

“So you’re Fortune.” The creator said. “I’ve heard so much about you, but you are not what I expected. Why do you look like Connor?”

Fortune gestured to Markus. “I do not have a form. I was given this one by Markus’s thoughts. I find it suiting, considering that I have his voice after all.” 

Mr.Kamski nodded. “Yeah. We’re going to get back to the little bit of information later. Firstly how about you answer the question that everyone here wants to know. What are you?” 

Markus looked back at the hologram, who nodded its affirmation at Mr.Kamski’s question. Markus had been waiting on this information for what felt like years to him, and now he was finally going to find out. 

“Yes. Allow me to explain. I am a small fragment of code from a new quantum supercomputer developed by Cyberlife. I am specifically designed to analyze vast data from various sources and generate predictions at many exaflops per second.” Fortune paused to allow them to take in that information. 

The room was silent for a good moment. Markus took the moment to observe the members of Jericho. They all looked like they were just trying to process the information.

“What’s an exaflop?” Simon asked. Markus kept gazing at him, he felt oddly nervous as to how Simon was going to take this information about what was residing within him. 

Mr.Kamski was the one to answer his questions. He was pacing back and forth in thought. “Think of it in Connor’s ability to calculate multiple possibilities at once, only at a much larger scale. Connor can only do a few dozen a time, while Fortune here can think of over a billion at once.”

Fortune nodded.“Yes. My program was made off of Connor's coding, I assume it’s where they got the idea.” Markus raised an eyebrow as Mr.Kamski suddenly tensed. 

He turned to look back at Fortune, a low fire in his eyes. “What? Who did that?” The barely disguised venom in the creator’s voice confused Markus. Why did the man care?

“I’m sorry. I don’t appear to have access to that information. I am only a fragment of myself.” Mr.Kamski crossed his arms and stared down at the program. 

“Is that why you sound like Connor?” 

The hologram shrugged. “More than likely. I am unaware of the reason myself. Perhaps it is because I was made off his code, I’m not really sure.” 

“What was your purpose Fortune?” Mr.Kamski asked. 

“Originally I was designed to calculate the probability of "Mass Extinction Events", such as aggressive alien invasions or global climate disasters like meteors or super-viruses. I was supposed to ensure that the human race was never caught off guard by such events. However, in the recent years, that goal has seemed to have been... twisted. Three years ago a malicious program had been entered into my code, it allows me to transmit a signal to any android I choose. Once the signal is connected I could release the malicious software in order to gain control of the androids neural functions. Once I successfully infiltrated their system, I could order them to do whatever I wished.” Markus wanted to panic at the information, yet he felt insanely calm. He figured that it was Fortune’s doing. 

That did nothing for the others, however. Simon, Josh, North, and Connor looked like they were ready to shut down any minute. 

Mr. Kamski well he was just staring at the hologram thinking. “I’m assuming that this is Cyberlife’s doing?”

Fortune nodded. “Yes. Although I can’t tell you for what purpose. I don’t appear to have access to that information. I am only a fragment of myself.” Mr.Kamski eyes were cold as he studied Fortune. It unnerved Markus. The creator's demeanor changed so quickly from fascinated to cold in the blink of an eye. 

“This signal. It’s the same one that I’m assuming Markus heard before you tried to infect him. How does it work?” Mr.Kamski asked.

“At first I simply connect to the android as though I was one. This makes them let their guard down, once they have accepted the signal I transmit a loud frequency that debilitates them. Then I begin uploading the virus.” Markus finally understood what that horrible sound was now, however, that didn’t answer the question everyone including himself wanted to know. 

“Why does Cyberlife want me under their control?” Markus asked. 

“I’m sorry Markus. I do not have access to that information. I am only a fragment of myself.” Markus tried not to let the disappointment show, but he already knew that Fortune felt it. 

Fortune frowned. “I can tell you this information. This version of me was designed specifically for you. Normally when I transmit the virus it's from one specific location, however, they made me mobile and extra powerful just for you. They wanted to ensure that they gained control of you. I very much doubt that they would think, even with my upgrades that you would be able to resist, or even free my fragmented self. Your code and system are truly amazing and unique Markus.” 

Those words did nothing to make him feel better, even after all this time, the waiting and stress, they still had no idea what Cyberlife was after. However, they weren’t done asking questions yet. 

Markus froze as Mr.Kamski bent down and got right in the small holograms face.

“And Chloe, what about her?” Mr.Kamski’s voice was colder than ice itself. Fortune wasn’t intimidated, although Markus doubted that the program could be from its position. It didn’t have a body after all.

Fortunes face remained calm as a regarded the creator.“Yes. The RT600 model. I was told to transmit the virus to her and was ordered to have her kill you. She...fought me. For a long time she tried to fight me off, but in the end, she couldn’t. Mr.Kamski you should be proud of her...tenacity.” The look Mr.Kamski gave Fortune was truly terrifying, Markus himself started to feel a little nervous. 

“I should be proud? Why, because of you, she’s DEAD!” Connor got up from his seat and walked up to Mr.Kamski. He placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Elijah, please calm down.” Connor’s voice was soft and reassuring. For a moment, Markus didn’t think that he was going to calm Mr.Kamski and that he was going to be without a hand. Yet, after a moment Mr.Kamski’s entire stance softened, however, his eyes remained cold as he looked at Fortune. 

“Why does Cyberlife want me dead?” He asked. 

“Because they fear your mind Mr.Kamski, and for good reason. You did say you were able to create a program to purge the virus. They wanted to make sure that you couldn’t intervene with what they were planning.” 

Markus raised an eyebrow. “What are they planning Fortune?” 

Fortune turned to Markus. “I don’t have all of the information. However, in the last two months, I was instructed to infect multiple androids and bring them to a remote location. I have infected hundreds of androids by this point, my last count was 750, it’s possibly more now.” 

Simon rose from his seat next, his entire stance was tense. “What! That can’t be possible, how on earth did we not notice that these androids were going missing?!” 

Connor spoke next, though he was hesitant. “I was going to speak with you all about that today, but...certain events postponed me. When I was going through my cases from the DPD yesterday, I came across dozens of missing reports on androids. They all exhibited the same symptoms that Markus and Chloe had before they disappeared. I had gotten to case number eighty when I received a call from...Elijah.”

“So you’re telling me that androids have been going missing for months and we haven’t noticed at all?!” North exclaimed. 

Connor nodded with a frown. “Yes, it was quite easy to miss during the time. There were hundreds of other cases and with more and more androids going deviant it was easy for the DPD to look over.” 

North shook her head. “I’m not talking about the DPD. WE were supposed to protect these androids. Them going missing is on us, Connor!” 

Markus held up his hand to calm her. “There was no way that we could have known about it North. What matters is that we know now.” Markus looked back at Fortune, who had a look that was similar to shame. 

Markus felt sorry for it. From what he could tell, he was just as much a victim of Cyberlife as they had been. “Fortune do you know where they are now?” 

Fortune shook his head. “I’m sorry, I do not have access to that information–“ 

Mr.Kamski groaned. “Alright, we get it! Do you know what Cyberlife is planning to do with them?” 

Fortune again shook his head. “No, I do not. However, whatever it is, it involves Markus.” 

“Why were those androids chosen specifically?” Connor asked. 

Fortune shrugged. “They hold no special factors Connor, other than no one would have batted an eye or found anything strange at those rather normal androids going missing during a revolution for their freedom.” Markus frowned, because Cyberlife was right and no one had taken notice.

Markus thought of another question that had been plaguing his mind. “Fortune, why is Connor, Mr.Kamski, Simon, and I so important to stopping Cyberlife?”

Fortune frowned again. “I’m sorry I do not have access to that information. I am only a fragment of myself. I know that my complete self had calculated a plan to stop Cyberlife, however, I only know that it involves you four. You four are highly imperative.” 

Mr.Kamski tiled his head.“Why do you want to stop Cyberlife? They are your creators after all.” 

Fortune tilted his head at Mr.Kamski, it seemed confused as to why he would even ask. “My core function is and always has been to calculate and warn humans of them being in danger. My first and foremost purpose is to protect human life, and I wish to do so, even if it is my creators who are the threat.” 

Markus nodded, that was noble he supposed. “Where is your signal coming from Fortune?” 

“Cyberlife tower. In order for me to gather the rest of the information to your unanswered questions, I would need to be able to download the rest of myself. The only issue is, I would need to be very close, as in within the building, in order to do so.” Markus furrowed his brows. 

“How do you suppose we get you close enough to do that.” Mr.Kamski gave a loud an obnoxious sigh while he dragged hands down his face. 

“Mr. Kamski?” Markus asked with concern. 

“Find yourself a suit, it looks like we’re all going to a fucking Gala.” Mr.Kamski did not at all look happy about this decision.

Markus looked back at Fortune.“Do you think that’s a good idea?” 

Fortune nodded. “It’s an opportunity that won’t raise questions.” 

“Do you think that that’s a good idea for the rest of us. I’m assuming that you won’t let Markus get infected again, but what about Connor, Josh, North, and I ?” Simon asked. 

“Only yourself Simon, Markus, Connor, and Mr.Kamski need to go, anyone else will seem... suspicious. As far as the signal, Cyberlife isn’t crazy enough to do such a thing with so many eyes on them, it’s extremely high in probability that you will remain safe from the virus. As for Connor, he doesn’t seem to be able to get infected with it. Although, I couldn’t tell you why perhaps because we have similar coding it doesn’t recognize him as another android. Anyway, everyone should be fine at the tower.” Fortune smiled, as though trying to ease their concerns. 

Markus frowned and looked at the others. “What do you guys think?”

Mr.Kamski shrugged. “I suggested it didn’t I.” Markus refrained from glowering at the man and looked to Connor and Simon for their answers. 

“If it will get us more answers then I suppose we have no choice.” Simon said. 

Connor nodded his agreement.“Yes, I doubt we will get another opportunity like this again.” 

Markus sighed. “Alright. It looks like I apparently have time to attend.”

Markus looked at Fortune who smiled at them all. “Good. I will begin calculating a plan that can get me past their security so that I can download the rest of myself without suspicion.” 

Fortune turned to look at Mr.Kamski. “In the meantime, Mr. Kamski I would not suggest you staying by yourself. I wasn’t lying when I said that you four were in danger. Just because Cyberlife hasn’t tried to kill you recently, doesn’t mean that won’t try again.” 

Mr.Kamski shrugged and pursed his lips.“Well, where do you suggest I do, stay here in the facility? No offense, but I don’t think it’s... accommodated for me.”

Fortune shook his head. “The obvious choice is with Connor. Connor is designed for multiple combat situations, plus his ability to calculate probability during stressful situations will make him an excellent bodyguard. I would suggest that wherever you are, he remain.”

Mr.Kamski thought over the AI’s words before he shrugged. “If he doesn’t have an issue with it, I don’t see why not.” 

Markus looked at Connor, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here right now. After a second, Connor stiffly nodded. 

“If this is what I have to do, then I will.” Markus knew that was not what Connor wanted to say, but he’d talk to him later. Markus turned his attention back on Fortune. 

“What do you suggest we do until Friday then?” Markus asked. 

“Go about your daily routine, though I would suggest that you Markus and Simon not leave the facility. Also Markus, your brother Leo, you need to make sure that he is protected, I wouldn’t put it past Cyberlife to use him against you.” Markus froze, he hadn’t even thought of Leo since this entire situation started. Although he thought it curious Fortune referred to him as his brother, he supposed that was another subconscious thing Markus did, that Fortune picked up on. 

“I’ll handle it,” Markus said although he could only imagine how that conversation would go. 

‘Hello, Leo. How have you been? I was just calling to tell you, your life's in danger from an evil corporation that’s trying to kidnap me and kill my friends. Good to hear from you, but you should probably leave town.’ 

Well, it was certainly a conversation starter. 

“Okay Markus, ensure that you do. Until Friday, I suggest you all go about your daily task...as best as you can with all of this on your minds. I’m going to retreat back into Markus’s subconscious now, so I can begin formulating a plan. I will speak to you all very soon.” With flicker Fortune was gone. 

Markus took a deep breath as he felt Fortune’s code retreats to the back of his mind. 

Well, that was certainly something.

***

Tuesday. 5:00 PM

Connor frowned as Hank was silent over the phone. He had just relayed the events that had transpired between Jericho to him, including how he was going to have to stay with Elijah from now on until this case was resolved. To his surprise, Hank didn’t say anything on that last part yet.

“Are you sure that you guys don’t want the DPD involved?” Hank asked. 

Connor shook his head. “We all agreed that we shouldn’t say anything until we have more evidence. All we have is the word of a... fragmented AI as our proof.” 

Hank gave a long-winded sigh. “Yeah about that, are you guys sure you want to trust this thing. I mean how do you know it’s telling the truth?”

Connor frowned again. “Markus seems to believe it, and so does Elijah. I honestly don’t know what to think about it, however, it’s Markus who makes the final decision.” Hank made a noise like he disagreed. “Connor, you know you don’t just have to blindly follow right–“

“I’m not blindly following Hank! Markus had placed his trust in me on many occasions and now it’s time for me to place my trust in him! If he trusts this AI then I must as well!” Connor sucked in a breath, he didn’t mean to snap at Hank, he was only trying to help.

“Alright, Connor calm your blue-blooded ass down! I was just saying that you’re allowed to have an opinion!” Hank sounded like he was two second from cussing Connor out. 

Connor took another breath.“Yes, I understand that Hank. I don’t mean to snap, it’s been a... taxing day for all of us. Just so you know Markus did ask me if I agreed and I said yes. I called to update you on the situation, and to ask if you would be willing to let Captain Fowler know that I will not be returning for some time and that all my cases should be transferred to someone who’s willing to take them until I’m able to do so again. I would contact him myself, however, we decided that it was best for me to just cut off contact with the DPD for now, so that they have plausible deniability.” 

Hank grunted. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that Connor. Believe it or not, Gavin’s been working on all your cases and is doing a good job at it too. As much as I fucking hate to say it.” 

Connor raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I remembered reading his name on many of my closed out cases. I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, as far as I knew he didn’t like androids.” 

Hank cackled. He sounded far too amused. “That bastard doesn’t like anything that may question his skill capability. It’s too bad that bastard’s actually good at his job when he’s not being a little shit. It turns out that he’s been assigned to all cases including androids, they only thing is if he gets even one complaint of unnecessary aggressive-- or as we call it ‘Gavin’ behavior-- he could kiss his badge goodbye. Seems like he’s pissed off the wrong person who has a liking for androids.” Connor knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help but smirk, he knew exactly who put Detective Reed in this position. Elijah was very petty. However, it kinda serves Detective Reed right, given how horribly he’s treated Connor, the task might even give him better character.

“Well, make sure that he sends all cases to Jericho when he’s finished. I still need to catalog them even if I’m not working on them anymore.” Hank Snorted, “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled about that Connor.” 

There was a small silence that passed between them. “Alright, I’m just going to mention the elephant in the room. Connor... are you going to be alright with this...bodyguard thing?” 

Connor bit his lip. God, he hoped so. “It’s what I need to do Hank. I will perform the task to the best of my abilities.” 

Hank let out an uncomfortable groan. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about Connor.” 

Connor felt himself blush. He hoped that it was only happening in his mind and not actually on his body. “I don’t know what you mean Hank.” Connor tried to deny but Hank was having none of that.

“Oh come off that bullshit Connor. Look, I know that you feel obligated to do so, but you’re going to be spending a lot of time with that asshole and I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable for the sake of the mission.” Hank sounded serious and Connor swallowed. 

“Elijah is aware of my feelings.” There was a brief pause. 

“What... you told him, Connor?” Hank asked though he sounded like he did not want to be having this conversation. 

Connor shook his head. “No, I haven’t said anything yet, but he knows. He’s not a dumb man Hank, and he can read people easily. I don’t know why I thought I could hide it from him.” 

Hank grunted. “So has he said anything... you know about it.”

Connor gave a small disenchanted smile. “No, he hasn’t. He seems to be respecting the fact that I haven’t said anything yet. Though he has been...teasing me a lot more lately.”

Hank gave a sound that was near a growl. “I will fucking sort him out if you want me to Connor. Give me the word and two hours.” 

Connor smiled. “No, Hank. The teasing truly does come across as playful... and...” Connor trailed off wondering if he should even tell this part. 

“And what Connor?” Hank asked.

“I’m not sure, but... I think that he might be interested back or at least... he’s given hints at the possibility.” Well, that was if Connor was reading the signs right. 

Connor heard Hank shift as he grumbled. “Well, are you planning to do anything about it?” 

Connor paused. He honestly didn’t know, for now, it didn’t really seem like a good idea. “Not right now Hank. With everything going on it doesn’t really seem like the right time.” 

Hank was silent for a moment, and then he gave another long and suffering sigh. “Connor I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but... I honestly think, in a situation like this, it probably bests that you don’t wait. You never know what’s going to happen and believe me you don’t want any what if’s on your mind. So if you are sure that he feels the same way then I suggest that you tell him.” 

Connor honestly wanted to. He had thought about it since their conversation earlier. If Connor wasn’t mistaken, Elijah had been flirting with him, then again Connor didn’t know. The man was so playful it was hard to tell when he was being serious and when he joking around.

Connor frowned. “I will think about it, Hank.” Hank made a sound like he wanted to say something else but he sighed.

“Okay Connor you handle things from your end and I’ll handle things from mine. Remember if you need anything don’t hesitate to call me Connor.” 

Connor smiled. “Of course Hank. I will be sure to keep you updated... please keep yourself safe.”

“You too Connor. I’ll pet Sumo for you, he’s certainly going to miss you.” Connor frowned, he had nearly forgotten about he lovable dog during all of this. He didn’t even realize how much he missed him. 

“Thank you. I will talk to you later Hank.” With that, Connor ended the call. When he opened his eyes, he was startled to see Elijah sitting right next to him. He had his usual smug smile on his face. “Trouble in paradise?” 

Connor didn’t have time to entertain the man. 

“No. I was simply updating Hank on the situation. I see you’re done conversing with Markus, is everything alright?” Elijah nodded leaning back in the chair he had occupied. They were currently residing in the lobby. 

“Yes, everything’s fine. Since we have some down time before the Gala, Markus has asked me if I would be willing to teach their androids who have taken to becoming their doctors, how to work on each other internally.” Connor blinked. He had forgotten that there weren’t any actually trained technicians here. He was suddenly very grateful to Elijah for fixing his arm.

“I didn’t know that things were that bad,” Connor spoke. 

Elijah shrugged.“It really isn’t. It’s mostly just for future reference, and to keep me busy for the next couple of days. I can’t think of too many ways to stay occupied in a hotel room for two days...well I can but I figure I should at least take you to dinner first –“ Connor abruptly stood up. He really could not handle Elijah’s teasing right now. 

“I’m going to go speak with Markus for a moment. Then we’ll go back to your hotel room.” The amused smirk on Elijah’s face wasn’t to be ignored and sent a fire burning through Connor. Connor turned from him and went to find Markus. He found him still in the meeting room. He was speaking with Simon, North and ...Josh. 

North noticed him as soon as came in the room. To Connor’s horror, she made her way to him. “Connor could I speak with you for a moment.” Connor didn’t possibly want to know what she was going to say to him. He nodded anyway and stepped to the side with her. 

She took a deep breath, brushing some her hair behind her ear before looking at him. “I’m not really good at this type of stuff, but I wanted... to say that I’m sorry. For accusing you of betraying us and working for Cyberlife. I was... not in my right mind and directing some anger that I had for Cyberlife at you, and you didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry Connor.” Connor was surprised. He honestly didn’t expect her to personally apologize, even though he knew by how she defended him against Josh that she was sorry.

Connor didn’t really know how to handle this situation. Should he touch her shoulder like Markus tended to do? Should he shake her hand? God, he hated social interaction, it was so confusing. In the end, Connor just gave her a small smile.

“Apology accepted North... and thank you.” She smiled back at him, a small and timid smile, but it was real. 

“Good. Also, don’t worry about what Josh said. He didn’t mean it, he was just scared and like Simon said picked you because you were the easy target. He really doesn’t believe what he said.” Connor nodded, though it didn’t make him feel any better.

“I understand.” North smiled again before she turned and walked back to the others. 

Markus smiled at him when he approached. “Connor, I was hoping that you would come and speak to me before you left. I wanted to ask how you are you handling everything?”

Connor shrugged. “I’m not the one with the sentient AI in my head... well not anymore. I actually wanted to know how you are doing with the information.” 

Markus sighed and leaned back against the wall he was standing next to. “As well as I can be. It’s oddly not as...disturbing as I thought it would be. Fortune is... there but other than knowing about their presence, I feel like myself.” 

Connor tilted his head. “You’re rather calm about this Markus.”

Markus laughed. “Oh, believe me, I am as humans put it ‘freaking out’ on the inside. However, as of the moment I see no need to be resistant. Fortune has already made themselves at home within me...I might as well accept that fact. For now at least.”

Connor bit the inside of his lip. He wondered if he should ask and just decided to anyway. “So... you fully trust him?” 

Markus shrugged. “For now. Unless he shows me otherwise...I do trust them. Make no mistake, I do plan to converse with him a lot more in the next couple of days. Just to be on the safe side.” Connor nodded. That was honestly all Markus could do since he couldn’t expunge the program. 

“Alright then. I’m going to take Elijah back to his hotel now. He told me how he was going to be helping out here, and instructing on how to do internal repairs. So I suppose I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Connor wait. I want to talk to you alone for a second.” Markus looked at the others with a look asking them to leave. Josh and North nodded, and they left bidding Connor a goodbye. Well North did, Josh still refused to look at him. 

Markus rubbed Simon on his arms lightly, it was a gentle and intimate touch. Simon smiled at him and the bid Connor a goodbye and left the room. Connor suddenly found himself nervous. What could Markus possibly want to talk about?

“Connor, truthfully between the two of us. How are you handling everything?” Connor blinked. Hadn’t they just discussed this? 

“I’m fine Markus, it’s you–“ Markus waved him off. “I’M fine Connor. I want to know how you are. It must not be easy for you to hear or see Fortune. Especially knowing that they built him off of your code, that means that he’s technically apart of you. Don’t you have any questions that you would like me to ask Fortune, or would you prefer to speak to him personally?” 

Truthfully Connor had so much he wanted to ask. Like why was Fortune built off of his code? It couldn’t just be because of his probability factor. Why not just build a new code with the same basic principle in mind. They had specifically chosen to use Connor’s. 

The use of his voice was also strange. Why did they use Connor’s voice when making Fortune, they could have used any specific voice and yet they chose Connor’s. More importantly, Connor wanted to know who made him. He only knew that he was a prototype, designed to hunt deviants. Other than that he had no recollection of anything. All he knew was his purpose, and now... he doesn’t even have that anymore. 

“Anything that I wish to ask can wait for now. I want to focus on Cyberlife and protecting Elijah.” Connor hoped that Markus would drop the matter.

Markus didn’t seem so sure and looked like he wanted to ask him something else, yet he accepted Connor’s response. “Okay. Speaking of Mr.Kamski,” Oh God. “I’ve noticed that you have grown rather... attached to him.” No, Connor wasn’t going down this awkward route.

“Yes, I have feelings for him and no I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.” Connor figured he might as well get that out the way.

Markus blinked at him, surprised. “Okay. I assumed as much. What I wanted to tell you was to be careful.” Connor looked away from him. He already knew this, he’s run the possibility of Elijah’s reaction to his feelings multiple times. He’s seen all the bad options and the few very good ones. He didn’t need Markus to tell him not to trust the man, he was already confused. 

“I wanted to tell you to be careful and don't wait to long tell him.” Connor blinked, his attention shifting back to Markus. That was not what he expected him to say.

“What?” 

Markus smiled at him with gentle eyes. “I’ve been in love with Simon since the revolution. During the final protest, when we were all cornered by the soldiers, my biggest fear was not dying, but not being able to tell Simon how I felt about him. Thankfully, we lived and I was able to tell him, however, with these events with Cyberlife and knowing that they are after our lives...you never know what’s going to happen. Seize your moment while you have it.” Connor looked at Markus, and he allowed the fear that he had been pushing back to come forward. 

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way? What do I do if I tell him...and he doesn’t feel the same. I don’t think I could just move on from that.” Markus looked at him with a certain type of sympathy. It wasn’t pitying, it was like he knew what he was feeling. 

Markus looked wistful.“I understand your fear, Connor. I felt it too when I kept trying to tell Simon about how I felt. I kept talking myself out of it. I kept telling myself he wouldn’t feel the same, that he was too good for someone like me, that it was never the right time. In the end Connor... there is never a good time, and you don’t know what the person you love is going to say.” Connor felt himself grow stiff at the word love. He couldn’t possibly feel that way about Elijah... could he?

Markus saw him stiffen and placed a hand on his shoulder. “In the end Connor, you just have to dive in and hope for the best.” Connor didn’t think he could do that, but he nodded.

“Thank you, Markus... I’ll take my leave now.” Connor turned around to leave the room when Markus called out to him again. He turned to look at him. 

“If it makes you feel any better Connor, I don’t think he’s going to turn you down.” No, it didn’t make Connor feel any better, yet he smiled at him anyway. 

He made his way back to Elijah who appeared to be dozing in his chair. It shouldn’t be a surprise, the man was still recovering from his surgery. It was insane that the man was even up and moving at all. Connor scanned him, his vitals were fine, yet the creator didn’t look too comfortable. 

“Elijah?” The man opened his eyes to look at him. “How is your pain, Elijah?”

Elijah shrugged. “It’s not that bad, but I think I’m reaching my limit for today.” 

Connor nodded. “I’m calling a cab right now to come and pick us up. I’ll order some room service for you when we get back the hotel so that you have something to eat. I’ll then help you with the pain medicine you’ve been given, that I know you haven’t been taking.” 

Elijah didn’t even have the courtesy to look apologetic. “No I haven’t been, and you can’t make me.” Connor narrowed his eyes at the man. They would see about that.

Elijah snorted at the look. “Well, while we wait for the cab I would like to say thank you for being willing to put up with me for who knows how long a period of time. I know I’m not an easy man to get along with, though I’m not apologizing for that.” 

Connor didn’t expect him to. “I... really don’t find being in your company a burden Elijah.” 

Elijah tilted his head, his cold blue eyes appraised him with amusement. “Is that your way of saying that you like my company, Connor?” 

Connor couldn’t stop the small raise to the corner of his lips. “It’s not the worse company I’ve been in.” 

Elijah snorted, although his own lips twitched a smile. “Should I be flattered by that comment?” 

Connor fully smiled this time. “Feel however you wish about it.”

Connor decided that this assignment wouldn’t be so bad as he spoke with Elijah the whole ride to the hotel. Also, by the end of the night, Elijah ended up taking his medicine. Connor always accomplished his missions after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you guys like it, I certainly enjoyed writing this chapter! It's so satisfying to finally let some final plot points be known!<3333 But don't worry my friends there still so much more left to do<3333
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comments and support! TTwTT I know I say this all the time at the end of each chapter, but I truly do mean it! You guys deserve to hear it all the time, and you are the absolute best, and I love each and every one of you! You guys enjoy the rest of your weekend and I'll see you next Tuesday!<333333333


	19. Chapter 19:The Cyberlife Gala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darling!
> 
> We're back with another update! It's going to be a LONG one!>;3
> 
> Important Note: I have so unfortunate news sadly. There will only be two updates this week. Today and Thursday. The reason for this is because, my cousins who have been staying with me and my family for over a year mother is finally coming back from deployment overseas(she's in the military), and we are taking them home this weekend. I'll be out of town from Friday till late next Tuesday(there will still be an update that day.) I'm so sorry about this! However, these chapters are SUPER long, so I hope it makes up for the long gap between updates! Thank you in advance for your understanding! ^-^;
> 
> Anyway please enjoy this chapter! It's a fun one!

Friday, 5:00 PM

Markus had not heard anything from Fortune in the two days that had passed. Even when he had visited his ‘zen garden’ while asleep, he couldn’t find him in the house. Markus wouldn’t say that he was very concerned, he knew that Fortune was there. He could feel him buzzing in the back of his mind, but when he called out to him, he never responded. THAT had concerned Markus.

Markus had adjusted to the knowledge that he had sentient AI residing within his body rather quickly. Perhaps it was because he knew that there wasn’t anything that he could do about it. Mr.Kamski told him just to roll with it for now. The others had adjusted to it as well, though they commented on how Markus carried himself. He stood a lot straighter, much more aware.

Markus...well, did feel much more aware of everything, and everyone. He could sense everything going on around him. He could feel every android in the facility, even the ones outside that were close enough to the building. He was just generally much more...alert. He supposed his posture resembled that. The others hadn’t mentioned it since he told them his thoughts on it, but he could still sense their concern.

Mr.Kamski, he had been a really big help in the last two days. He had asked Markus many questions about Fortune. Markus couldn’t answer them because Fortune was apparently not speaking to him. Mr.Kamski after hearing that had decided to begin building a computer that could hold Fortune and a program that could safely remove him from Markus’s body.

Mr.Kamski obviously didn’t trust Fortune as much as he made himself out to. While he was working on these new items, he simultaneously created a program to teach the androids who had decided to become their doctors the intricacies of Android inner organs step by step so he didn’t have to go through the long process of explaining each part. He still guided them through some of the tougher more intricate things. However, they had made leaps and bounds from where they had been. 

Mr.Kamski had even offered to teach them how to work the machines in the facility in order to manufacture parts they might need. Markus had asked if that was going to cause an issue with Cyberlife, but Mr.Kamski just smirked and said; “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” In the end, Markus said that he would get back to him on that offer after they figured out what was going on with Cyberlife. 

Markus had gone about his days as normally as he could while they waited for the arrival of the Gala. Over time, he had noticed some strange...things happening with his system. He could do quite a bit more with technology than he had previously been able to do. Markus learned rather by accident that could access anything that had electrical power now. He had found that out the hard way when he accidentally shut off the lights...and all the power to the facility. It had truly been an accident. He was simply being lazy and didn’t want to get up from his comfy position with Simon, and so he was wishing that he could turn the lights off in his room mentally. To his surprise, they actually went out, along with every other light in the building! 

Even more concerning, they weren’t able to turn them back on until they figured out that he had been the one that did it! Then, Markus had to figure out HOW he even did it, and try to turn them back on! However, when he did that, he accidentally turned off COMPLETE power to the building!

It had been a horrible night. He had been careful when thinking about lights ever since. Markus assumed this was apart of Fortune’s ‘upgrades’ to his system. He wasn’t sure how he felt about them yet.

He also discovered that he had an instant and ‘visible’ uplink to Detroit’s network. He had discovered that rather suddenly as well. When he was yet again, laying in post-coital bliss with Simon. 

Whereas before, he would have to ‘connect’ to the public network to download any information, now if he thought of ANYTHING it would just pop up in front of him like a monitor, one that apparently only HE could see. He would never live down the very manly–and he would never agree that it was anything but-- sound he let out when the images suddenly popped up in front of his face. He didn’t know who had been more scared, him or Simon, who by the way had no idea what he was talking about since he didn’t SEE anything. Markus again, to his annoyance, assumed that this was Fortune’s doing.

Simon, well thankfully had been rather okay with the entire ’Fortune’ thing, as well as the adjustment to his system that Markus was still trying to figure out. He seemed okay with the idea of Markus sharing his body with another for now. Although, he was slightly uncomfortable with kissing Markus at first because he didn’t know if Fortune could feel him doing it as well. 

Markus very much doubted that he could, and that’s what he told Simon. However, truthfully Markus didn’t know if Fortune could feel anything he did with his body. Markus hoped not, but in the end, he didn’t really care because this damn AI had already decided to stowaway on his body, and Markus would be damned before he stopped him from getting kisses from Simon.

Still, all of this did not change the fact that Markus had not heard from Fortune for two days, Markus was beginning to get worried as he got dressed for the Cyberlife Gala. He, unfortunately, had to go through another dressing up session with Simon, which he did not enjoy. Though he put up with it with the promise of a... reward from Simon if he was patient with him. Markus didn’t even know he could BE that patient. He was also VERY happy with his reward. In the end, they had ended up going with a simple black and white suit that was better fitted this time. Simon was in his own, yet now highly unused room getting ready as well when Markus felt a familiar buzz in his head.

“Hello, Markus.” Speak of the devil. 

“Fortune, I haven’t been able to contact you at all. Even when I visited the house you weren’t there. Which is weird considering that you live within me. Where have you been?” Markus tried not to sound mistrusting, but he knew that Fortune already knew his thoughts. 

Fortune laughed. “I was formulating a plan to infiltrate Cyberlife security system in order to access my code like I told you I would be when I left. After I came up with a plan, I was calculating the different possibilities that can go wrong as well as preparing your system to carry out said plan. I’m sure that you’ve already noticed the upgrades that you’ve acquired.” 

Markus paused from doing his tie at that part. “So you are responsible for all those things?” Markus felt more than saw Fortune nod. 

“Yes, although, I only enhanced what was already within you. Only, I’ve changed your functions slightly so instead of you being able to connect only with androids from afar, you can connect with most technology now. This includes an ability to control the lights around you and other simple technologies mentally, as well as instant visible access to the Detroit network as well, much in the same way that I can access it. I’ve also increased your processing power so your downloading speed is near instantaneous. Also, I’ve given you the ability to hack any device that you decide to touch. ”

Markus didn’t like the way that last part sounded at all. It was very similar to what humans feared of them already. 

Fortune huffed an amused laugh.“It’s only temporary Markus. I can uninstall these features immediately after this event if you wish. As far as you fear for the humans' concern and paranoia to android hackers, androids are no more a threat of doing Cyber crimes than humans themselves are. The only difference is that androids can do it more... efficiently.” Markus supposed he could agree with that, Mr.Kasmki had apparently hacked national security for fun. People with minds like his seemed more of threat that the average android. 

“You said that these features were apart of your plan, how so?” Markus asked.

“In order for me to download the rest of myself, we’re going to need a distraction. Though the downloading process will only take a few seconds, it will be very obvious when you’re doing it. Now the attention is going to be on you non stop as soon as you arrive, from both reporters and Cyberlife itself, so we’re going to need a moment where no one can see what you’re doing. Now you can’t simply leave the room, you don’t have a reason to so and that will defiantly raise suspicion, so we’re going to temporarily cut out the lights within the entire building. It will come across as a simple power surge, which the building has suffered before, and the initial shock will give me just enough time to download the rest of my code.” 

Markus nodded but furrowed his brow in concern. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to start downloading all that information into me at the Gala. I’m not sure if my processor will be able to handle it.”

Fortune nodded. “ No, you are correct. As wonderful as your processor is, I doubt it will be able to handle my program as a whole. I’m just going to download the code and store it within you, however, I’m not going to upload it into your system. In fact...once I have the rest of my code, I think it is best if I am removed from your system altogether.” 

Markus blinked, he hadn’t expected that. “Really, why?”

“Simply because I’m going to need to be able to work efficiently and I’m not going to be able to do that within your body. I... assumed that you would be happy about this.” 

Markus furrowed his brows and shook his head. “It just, you seem like you went through a lot to integrate into my system.” 

Fortune hummed. “It was a necessary task in order to get my message across to you all. I couldn’t properly speak to you until I had a processing source. However, I was being honest when I said that this wasn’t a permanent residency. Also...I know of Mr.Kamski’s attempts to create a program to remove me. You were right when you said that I just invited myself in, I don’t intend to intrude on your...hospitality any longer than I have to.” Markus frowned, he felt kind of bad now. Markus had been everything but welcoming to Fortune, and it seemed all he wanted to do was help them.

Fortune chuckled. “Do not feel upset Markus, it was to be expected. I did come as shock and I don’t expect you to trust me fully, although I hope through my actions that you may come to.”

Until Markus saw how tonight events were going to go, he didn’t think he could trust Fortune. Markus decided to change the subject and return back to the plan. “Where does Connor and Mr. Kamski come into all of this?”

Fortune nodded. “They are going to take the attention off you before we even begin the plan, I’ve already spoken with them about it.”

Markus paused. “When... did you speak to them about this?” 

Fortune laughed. “Last night when you were being...intimate with your significant other. You were too preoccupied to even notice that I was making the call. Fear not, they didn’t hear anything, I did it quietly, I figured you wouldn’t want to be disturbed.” Markus didn’t know if he should be angry or highly embarrassed. 

“Were you watching us Fortune?!” Markus demanded. 

Fortune hesitated. “ Not really watching, but I am fully aware of what you two were doing. I do reside in your mind. I thought it... rude to interrupt, so I stayed quiet and busied myself with other things.” 

Markus made a disbelieving sound, he couldn’t fucking believe this. “Can you... feel what’s happening?!”

Markus felt Fortune hesitantly shake his head. “Not really feel physically in a sense, but because I reside in your mind I can experience the... mental sensation of the pleasure that you feel. I... sadly can’t shut off that factor.”

Markus was mortified! The things that he and Simon had done! Markus wanted to be severely angry at the invasion of privacy, yet at the same time would it even be worth it? There was nothing that he could do against the program!

Markus now had the awkward task of informing Simon about this little fact. He had a right to know, his privacy was being invaded as well, yet at the same time, he knew Simon WASN’T going to take it well. Although, he would take it even less well if Markus didn’t tell him.

Fortune made a rather sad sound. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I can’t simply shut off your thoughts and...when I felt it... I found myself... curious. I have never experienced such strong emotions before, but now I see that it was wrong of me, and I hope that you can forgive me.” This was why Markus couldn’t really bring himself to be angry, because it was understandable that Fortune felt curious. Emotions were a complicated thing, and once you felt them you wanted to feel more of them. It still didn’t make the situation any easier to explain to Simon. 

“I could explain it to him if you wish, that way I can apologize.” Fortune said. Markus frowned, he didn’t think that was such a good idea. 

“I think it’s best that I explain it to him Fortune. He might combust in embarrassment if you try.” Fortune felt upset and Markus felt bad now, even though he knew that he rightfully shouldn’t. 

“It’s alright Fortune, I know that you were just curious but... just let me know when you’re there okay. So that we can avoid situations like this in the future.” 

“Of course Markus. Again, I apologize.” There was a knock on the door cutting Markus off before he could say anything else.

“Come in.” Simon opened the door and Markus’s breath was stolen from his artificial lungs. Simon was dressed in a suit as well, only his inner dress shirt was a deep blue instead of the traditional white that Markus’s was. Markus had never seen him so fully dressed up before, and he relished the rare sight. 

“Stop looking at me like that Markus, it’s just a suit.” Simon’s face was lightly flushed blue in embarrassment. 

Markus smiled and walked up to Simon grabbing his hand and spinning him around.“You look...absolutely amazing Simon.” Simon rolled his eyes, but his smile was bright. 

“You have to dress like this more often,” Markus said, he really couldn’t keep his eyes off him. It suddenly hit him just how lucky he was to be able to call Simon his. 

Simon wouldn’t look at him, but his smile was telling. He was flattered. “We don’t have any reason to dress like this often Markus.” 

Markus smiled. “Well, that means that I’m just going to have to find reasons then if I get to see you like this.” Simon reached up and pinched his cheek giving his head a little shake. 

“You are such a flirt.” Simon grasped at his tie fixing it better into place. “Maybe one day.” 

Markus couldn’t stop his smile as he admired him. “Has Fortune spoken to you yet?” That caused Markus to drop his smile. 

“Um yes, he has...also... I think I should tell you something about him.” The look of horror on Simon’s face as he told him of Fortunes ease dropping on their... intimate time together last night was one that made Markus wish he had told him anything. 

“Markus, you said that he didn’t feel anything!” Simon’s face was a bright shade of blue.

Markus held up his hands in defense. “I honestly didn’t know that he could Simon! I didn’t even know he was there! It’s not like I was expecting him to just stick around while we were being... intimate! He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry!” Simon was covering his face in embarrassment. 

Markus bit his lip. “I’m really sorry Simon, I really didn’t know or I would have told you and we wouldn’t have done anything.” 

Simon took a deep breath. “I know Markus, and I’m not angry... I’m just embarrassed. Is there a way that he can not feel anything? I’m mean that’s going to be so weird.” 

Markus scratched at the back of his neck. “I honestly don’t know. It seems because he’s in my mind, he can feel the sensations of what I’m feeling and he can’t shut it off. Although if it makes you feel any better, he said that he was going to remove himself from my system after tonight.” 

Simon raised an eyebrow. “He is, why?” 

Markus checked the time and sighed. That was a long conversation. “I’ll tell you later, we really should go.” Simon rubbed a hand over his eyes. “Okay... what’s the plan that Fortune came up with?” 

“Yes, I’ll fill you in on the way down. I need to talk to Josh and North before we leave.” Markus held back another sigh, this was a lovely way to start the night. 

When they finally reached the lobby, Simon was filled in on the plan. Though he didn’t really know how to feel about the extra set of ‘skills’ that Fortune had given him. North and Josh were waiting on them. They smiled at them when they saw how they were dressed. 

“Wow, you guys look really good,” Josh said. North smiled encouragingly, though her eyes looked sad as she looked at Markus. Markus didn’t comment on it, he knew North still had feelings for him. No amount of talking was suddenly going to make them go away. He would let her deal with them on her own for now. He hoped she could come to terms with them and be able to move on. 

“Thank you. Though I’ve had my fill of suits if I’m being honest.”Markus said. 

Simon rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Well you better get used to them, you’re going to wear a lot more when you go to Washington.” Markus pouted, and North and Josh laughed at his expense.

Josh smile fell as he looked at them. “Are you guys sure about this?” 

Markus shrugged. “As sure as we can be. Fortune sounds pretty confident that their plan in going to work. However, I need you guys to listen to me right now.” North and Josh set their full attention on him. Markus could see the worry in their eyes. 

“There is no telling what Cyberlife is going to do. Fortune is confident that they aren’t going to try anything with so many cameras on them, but there is no full proof guarantee that they won’t. So if something happens to Simon and me tonight, Jericho falls to you two. I want you two to lay low for as long as possible. Keeping our people safe is all that matters. We have the public and the President on our side, but who knows how long that will last with Cyberlife. You two will need to work together to ensure safety for Jericho. Which means realizing that arguing will get you nowhere, you two will have to compromise, and do what’s best for the people okay?” Josh and North looked at each other there faces were tense. 

“Okay,” North said. “But you two have to promise that you’re going to come back.” Simon and Markus looked at each other, there was no way that they could promise that, but they gave them the best reassuring smiles that they could. Markus checked the time, it was about time for them to go. 

Fortune told him that Connor and Mr.Kamski would be meeting them there. Markus felt his nerves begin to rise, but he pushed them down. He had to focus right now. The Jericho crew all hugged each other just in case it would be the last time they all saw each other. Then Markus and Simon headed out. 

They were silent the ride to the Gala. Markus took the time to test out this whole ‘visible’ network thing by pulling up a window and bringing up the news. Just like he suspected the Cyberlife Gala was all that was being talked about. The doors were already flooded with reporters, and incredibly important looking guest was already showing up. Though there appeared to be a small anti-android protest going on near the building. 

Great. Markus’s nerves were rising again. He had no idea what was going to happen tonight. He honestly felt crazy going to the headquarters of the people that had tried to forcibly kidnap him and tried to MURDER the creator of androids. How was he suppose to behave normally when speaking to them. 

“It’s really not going to be as hard as you think Markus. You’d be surprised how easily one can smile in someone’s face and plot their demise behind their back. Just focus on being ready for the plan to work.” Fortune said. Markus wasn’t so sure that it was going to be as easy as that, however, he’d do his best. 

Markus was honestly slightly panicked. He wasn’t being paranoid when he was speaking to North and Josh. If there was one thing that they had learned about Cyberlife in the last couple of days, it was that they were incredibly sneaky. They had been doing nefarious things behind the scenes for a while and if Mr.Kamski hadn’t been shot and Markus had been attacked, they would have never known. Well, Connor would have noticed the missing androids sooner or later. However, there would have been no telling where that would have led to had they not known about the virus. Markus supposed that everything happened for a reason. 

Markus felt Simon tap him on his cheek, he grasped Markus’s hands and held them. “Come on Markus, now’s not the time to get lost in your head. We’re going to have to focus.” 

Markus smiled and squeezed his hands. “How can you read me so well?” 

Simon smiled at him, beautiful and bright just like he was. “Because I love you, that’s why...also you scrunch up your nose in the most adorable way when you’re thinking of serious stuff. Makes you look like an angry puppy.”

Markus scrunched up nose theatrically. “What, like this? I do not do that.” 

Simons laughed loudly. “Stop before your face gets stuck like that!” Markus crossed his eyes and scrunched his nose further giving it a little wiggle for emphasis. “How about now, would you still love me if I permanently looked like this”?

Simon grabbed his face giving it a shake leaning in close to rest his forehead against his. Markus undid his face to be treated to Simon’s wonderful smile. “Yes, I would love you no matter what you look like. But you know, you being so handsome is a big plus. I should thank whoever designed you.” Markus smiled back at him. This is what made everything worth it, to see Simon be able to smile like this. It made Markus want to ensure their rights as fast as he could so he would never have to stop seeing it. 

Markus leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against Simon’s. It was a simple pressure and nothing more, but it made Markus feel like he was on top of the world. 

“Um...I’m still here Markus.” Markus gently broke the kiss, when Simon looked at him in question, Markus gave him a slightly sad smiled. 

“Sorry Fortune.” He said out loud. The two words were more than enough for Simon to understand. He backed away from Markus blushing, but their hands remained clasped. 

“I apologize. I feel like I’m intruding on your relationship now.”Fortune said. He sounded so sad, Markus couldn’t really bring himself to be annoyed, or perhaps it was because he sounded just like Connor, Markus rarely ever got angry with Connor.

Markus shrugged mentally. “For now it can’t really be helped Fortune. I should really apologize, I kinda forget that you’re there sometimes. Besides you said it won’t be permanent right, you’re going to remove yourself after tonight?” 

Fortune nodded. “Yes I will, I promise.” Something about the way that he said that made Markus uneasy. Fortune sounded incredibly distant, more distant than had already been.

“I’m not plotting anything against you, Markus. I simply... have never felt emotion like this before. When I’m removed from your body it’s... all going to go away. It’s so...warm and wonderful and it makes me feel so...happy. I’ve never felt happy before, my purpose was to simply think....not to feel. I don’t know if I can go back to that now that I know what it’s like.” Fortune sounded so lost, that Markus truly found himself feeling for him. 

“Fortune... just because you’ll be removed doesn’t mean that you have to stop feeling. You’ll know what the emotion is–“ Fortune cut him off with a sigh, he sounded frustrated. 

“No Markus, I feel YOUR emotions. Everything that I feel is simply what you feel, none of it’s my own! I don’t have emotions, when I’m removed from your system it’s all going to go away!” Markus blinked. 

“Fortune,” Markus started slowly, gently. “You’re feeling emotion right now.”

Markus felt Fortune pause. “What?”

“You’re feeling emotion right now Fortune,” Markus repeated. “That feeling is called frustration, none of that is coming from me. That’s all you.” 

Fortune was at a lost for words. “I–“ 

Markus tried to send comfort through the connection. “I know it’s confusing. Believe me, I understand just how confusing it is at first. However, once you’ve known what emotion has felt like, you never forget it. I don’t believe that you’re suddenly going to stop feeling once you’re removed from my body. In fact, maybe this is a good experience for you. Maybe this will make you more well rounded when you create probabilities. Since you’ll know what human emotion feels like and...you’ll care more.” 

Fortune was silent for a good minute. Markus had for a second thought that he had retreated back into his mind. “ Perhaps. I’m going to have to think about it.”

Markus couldn’t help the mental roll of his eyes.“You’re missing the point. Don’t think so much Fortune...just... try to feel your way through stuff sometimes. Overthinking won’t solve anything.” 

Fortune was silent. For some reason, Markus got an image of him in his head of the program twirling his fingers like he had a coin and biting his lips just like Connor would. “I’ll do my best Markus. For now, we should focus.” Markus looked out the window to see that they were approaching the Cyberlife building.

Markus felt himself starting to feel nervous again as they pulled up to the bright blue carpet leading into the building. Reporters were everywhere, he knew as soon as he stepped out he was going to be swarmed. Simon squeezed his hand in support and Markus squeezed back. He took a deep breath and opened the car doors. 

Like a moth to a flame as soon as he stepped outside the car, and they saw who he was, they attacked him with the flashing lights of their cameras and shoved microphones into his face. 

“Markus, the leading figure of Jericho! No one was expecting to see you here at the Cyberlife Gala. What are you doing here, were you invited?” Markus forced on the biggest smile that he could muster, he hoped that it didn’t come across as too fake.

“I was invited by the CEO himself, Jason Graff,” Markus said simply. 

“Really, so you’re saying that Cyberlife supports your cause?”

Markus’s smile faltered a bit. Oh goodness, this was gonna be harder than he thought. “I’m not saying that they do or don’t. I’ve been made aware that the shareholders wished to speak with me. I suppose I’ll see later on tonight.”

“And is this PL600 model another leader of Jericho?” Markus’s smile grew tenser. He really didn’t want people to know about who else was involved in Jericho. It would make them even more of a target. 

“His names is Simon, and he’s my plus one for tonight you could say,” Markus said with a wink. The reporter faltered. 

“Oh, are you two in a relationship?”

Markus really wanted these questions to stop. That would be like placing a sign on Simon saying; ‘Please, use me against Markus!’

“Well, well, well, I knew that it had to be someone important gathering the reporters' attention if no one noticed my arrival.” Markus had never been gladder to hear from Mr. Kamski in his life. The reporters flew from him and to the creator in a matter of seconds. 

Markus took in the man. Only someone with as much money and importance as him could get away with being dressed so casually at a Gala. He was dressed in a normal black t-shirt with a red smiley face in the middle. The most formal thing on him was an outer black suit jacket over it. He was wearing black jeans and a pair of sneakers, his hair was in its usual bun, and he looked completely unapologetic about his attire. 

Markus’s eyes shifted to Connor. He was standing behind Mr.Kamski but his eyes were looking all around the building and into the crowd. Probably searching for threats. He at least had the common sense to dress formally. He was in a well fitted black suit as well, only his inner dress shirt, as well as the handkerchief in his outer pocket, was a deep red. Markus had a feeling that Mr.Kamski had dressed him. Connor didn’t seem like the type of person to pay attention to suits. Markus himself would have never gotten dressed if it wasn’t for Simon. 

“Mr.Kamski it’s very surprising to see you here after all these years! Please tell me what made you decide to come to this year's Gala?” 

Mr.Kamski flashed a charming smile. “Many interesting things have happened in these last few months. Is it really that odd that I would want to see what my previous company plans to say about its future?

“Mr.Kamski it’s well known that you were recently shot. Has the culprit been apprehended and is the speculation that it was an android true.” 

The smile that Mr.Kamski shot next was extremely fake and almost frightening. “Yes, I was shot recently. The suspect has been apprehended and taken care of. Thanks to the quick thinking of Connor here I survived. His one and only priority is to keep me safe, isn’t that right Connor?” Mr.Kamski glanced back at Connor and winked. Markus wasn’t sure how the android wasn’t blushing up a storm right now, though his LED did momentarily turn yellow.

“Mr.Kamski, when you first began Cyberlife, you gave the public your word that androids would never gain free will and pose a threat to humans. What do you have to say to those concerns now?” 

Mr.Kamski smile had turned slightly bitter now, however, to most others it still appeared welcoming and open. “What can I say on the matter? Deviancy is a much more recent thing, it began long after I left the company, I’m curious to see as to what my successor has to say on it as well. However, pertaining to if androids are a threat. Are they really any more of a threat to humans than humans are to each other?”

“Are you saying that you support the deviant’s cause?”

Mr.Kamski chuckled. “I’ve made it a habit only to support myself.”

“Have you had any contact with the members of Jericho?

Mr.Kamski nodded gesturing his head to Markus. “I have. They’ve come to me for some practical advice. I’m no longer a part of Cyberlife, so I saw no reason to deny them.”

“Mr.Kamski, what is your opinion on deviants?” 

The smile that Mr.Kamski gave was truly devious, he glanced back to Connor. “Fascinating, aren’t they.” With that Mr.Kamski pushed pass the crowd of reporters and walked towards the large doors. He gestured for Markus and Simon to follow him. 

“You certainly know how to make the perfect entrance and take all the attention.” Markus commented. 

Mr.Kamski chuckled. “Of course. My presence here alone is enough to captivate a room.” Markus wanted to roll his eyes, but he hated to agree that Mr.Kamski was right.

“Fortune told me that he contacted you about the plan,” Markus said, he was trying to act normally and not call too much attention to them.

Mr. Kamski’s smile was unreadable, he glanced back at Connor. “Yes. You worry about your part and Connor and I will worry about ours. You’ll know the signal to do your ‘thing’ when you see it.”

Markus tried to remain calm. He had no idea how to do his ‘thing’. He had caused the lights and power outage at the facility by accident. How on earth was he supposed to do it on command! Worse what if he got stage fright and the best he was able to do was make the lights flicker on and off. Even more embarrassing what if he was only able to turn one off, a random one that served no purpose to anything!

Fortune laughed. “I’m going to help you Markus don’t worry, and it’s going to be quick, so just focus on appearing normal for now.”

“Markus! I didn’t think that you were going to show up, I’m so glad that you could make it!” Markus turned to see the cheerful voice of Jason Graff. He was dress yet again in a black suit only he had changed the inner shirt to the customary Cyberlife shade of blue. Markus reached out and shook the offered hand. He forced on a smile. “Well, I thought it best to take a break for a night.” 

“Wonderful, we’re glad to have you here!” The CEO’s smiled dropped a bit when he noticed Mr.Kamski. The former CEO’s jaw was tight and he refused to look at the current CEO. 

“Elijah, it’s good to see you.” Mr. Graff said.

“Jason,” Mr.Kasmki said simply, Mr.Graff looked upset but he pushed it back with another awkward smile. He turned his attention back to Markus. 

“How about we all go inside and get away from these flashing lights. We have a long night ahead of us.” The CEO suggested.

Markus was certain that nothing could be more right. He forced on another smile and followed the man inside the doors.

***

Friday, 7:00 pm 

Connor didn’t know what to expect when they arrived at the Gala. Just getting here had been stressful enough. Elijah refused to wear a damn suit...and well, the figurative headache he had garnered while trying to force the man had made Connor want to tear out his hair. In the end, Elijah ended up wearing what he wanted. Connor wasn’t even sure why he tried. 

The event itself had been well on its way when they arrived indoors. No expense had been spared, and this was the type of event only those with money attended. There were people everywhere, dressed in glorious expensive outfits that probably cost more than the average persons weekly salary. There were androids here as well, serving champagne and wine. Connor looked them over, they appeared to be very obedient, though Connor couldn’t tell if they were under any control of the virus.

Jason Graff had whisked Markus and Simon away to mingle with whom Connor could only assume where the shareholders. Elijah, himself had been bombarded by a few of them as well. They asked him all sort of questions. Where had he been all these years? Why did he decide to show up now? Was he working on anything? Would he be willing to come back to the company if they asked? Who had shot him? What was he doing there with Connor? And many more irritating questions. Elijah smiled and charmed his way out of every single one with expert ease. In the end, no one knew anything more than what they had already known.

The night, other than the uncomfortable questions, had so far been good. There had not been any attempts on their lives...yet. However, with as many cameras as there was Connor was pretty confident that there wouldn’t be. That still did nothing to calm his nerves, and he itched for his coin.

Elijah apparently seemed to be right in his element. For a rather reclusive man, he seemed to be good at entertaining people. Connor had stayed by his side most of the night, however, Elijah had taken to dancing with many of the female and male guests. Connor had stayed near the refreshment table as he did so, simply watching. He was also trying to brush down his jealousy as he watched Elijah dazzle others with his fucking irresistible charm, and that damn endearing yet mysterious smile of his.

Markus and Simon had seemed to escape the shareholders and taken to dancing as well. For all intents and purposes, they actually appeared to be having a good time. Connor couldn’t help but smile at them, it appears the two of them could enjoy each others company no matter what was going on. Connor’s gaze, however, as always, fell back on Elijah. The man was laughing at whatever the male he was dancing with was saying to him. Connor couldn’t help the frown on his face as he watched them. 

“Yeah I know the feeling, Elijah has that effect on you doesn’t he?” Connor turned his head to find Jason Graff standing next to him with a glass of champagne in his hands. Connor glanced back at Elijah who was preoccupied with whoever he was dancing with. Connor didn’t even want to scan their face, he was liable to abuse his connections to the DPD and do some unspeakable things to their personal record. Connor knew that was just his jealousy talking.

“I know that look. Elijah could probably charm God if he wanted to. He just always had an enchanting air to him. Anyone could fall for him.”Mr.Graff said taking a sip of his champagne, but his eyes never left Elijah’s direction. Connor recognized that look, he had felt it a lot in these last few days. Longing. 

“Elijah doesn’t believe in God,” Connor spoke, Mr.Graff snorted.

“I know he doesn’t. Hasn’t really had a reason to in his life.” Connor raised an eyebrow at that. What did the man mean? It irked Connor that the current CEO knew more about Elijah than he did. What made Connor even more bitter, was that it was only because Elijah wouldn’t open up to him. Connor had tried in the last two days in his company. He’s been more direct in his questions, yet Elijah easily avoided every single one that he had asked. It was frustrating. After everything they had been through together, the man still didn’t trust him. 

Connor looked over Jason Graff. Well, perhaps he has his reasons for not trusting so easily. 

“I know how you feel about him, you don’t really hide it so well. If you glare any harder at the people he’s dancing with you might stare a hole into them.” Connor frowned at the CEO. So he was being watched, Connor made a note to pay attention to his facial expressions from now on. 

“It’s quite obvious how you feel about him as well,” Connor said, he saw no point in denying it.

Mr.Graff smiled sadly. “I’ve never stopped feeling anything for him. Elijah... he makes an everlasting impression on you. Once you fall in love with him, you don’t come away from that so easily.” Connor blinked. So the man was in love with Elijah. Connor suddenly found himself feeling very possessive, he then scolded himself for that. Elijah didn’t belong to him, he had no reason to feel such a way. 

“Why are you telling me your feelings for him?” Connor asked. Mr.Graff looked at Connor. His eyes were open and they were honest. 

“Because I’ve seen him hurt more than he ever should have had to... and I don’t want to see him hurt anymore. I’ve always protected him. However, there comes a time when you realize that you can’t protect someone forever...even if the danger is right in front of him.” Connor looked at the blond-haired man. What was he trying to tell him? Connor opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by a deep voice with a heavy southern dialect. 

“Jason there you are, we’ve been lookin’ for ya’, making conversation with our failed prototype here.” Connor frowned. Well, that was one way to introduce yourself.

Connor looked at the man. He was dressed much the same as Mr.Graff. He was tall, a bit taller than Connor himself. He was rather thick and burly in stature. He looked to be in his late forties to early fifty’s. He had brown eyes, that were slightly deep set and held slight wrinkles at the corners to show his age. He had a thick, yet neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He seemed to be an average middle age man, yet his smile...it unnerved Connor more than he had ever been. Connor had a deep gut feeling that he shouldn’t trust this man. Connor tried to scan him but was surprised to come up with nothing. That put Connor on edge, he had never failed to scan anyone before.

“I’m just taking a moment to myself before the big speech Philip.” Connor looked between the men, there was an underlying tension between them. Connor glanced down when a hand was presented to him. 

“The names Philip Seymore. I’m the Director of Futurology here at Cyberlife. You probably don’t remember me RK800 or ‘Connor’, but I’m the one who programmed ya’. You were some of my best work...or at least so I thought.” Connor blinked, he ignored the slights against him. He didn’t know what to think. So this man was the reason he even existed?

Connor reached out hesitantly and shook his hand. The older man's grip was firm and hard, Connor was sure if he was human it may have even hurt a little bit. The man gave him a rather unsettling grin. 

“So I see that you’ve put yourself in the company of Elijah. I shouldn’t be surprised that he somehow managed to get a hold of ya’.” Connor was uncomfortable with the way the Director of Futurology was looking Elijah. It was almost predatory. Connor felt a protective instinct kick in. 

“Elijah does seem to have his way with people,” Connor said, trying to keep his tone polite. 

The older man chuckled. “Yeah, he does. With people, that is.” Connor narrowed his eyes, he gathered that this man did not support the cause of deviants. It made Connor wonder just what Cyberlife was planning on saying about them tonight.

Connor glanced at the current CEO. He wasn’t looking at either of them, his attention was focused solely on Elijah. Philip Seymore seemed to notice as well and he frowned. Something was going on that Connor wasn’t seeing. 

Connor was certain that his LED was flashing yellow right now. 

Connor looked back at Elijah who was looking back at him this time, the creator frowned and then bid the person he was dancing with a goodbye with a kind but tense smile. He made his way over to him. Another smile made it’s way to his face as he arrived at the table, though Connor could tell that it was fake. 

“Connor, you certainly are popular over here.” The creator said picking up a glass of champagne behind him and tossing it back in one go. He placed the glass back on the table a lot louder than necessary. He then reached out and grasped Connor’s hand, giving him a little tug towards the dance floor. 

“Come, Connor, I’ve danced with nearly everyone here but you and you're supposed to be my date,” Elijah said. This was it. This was when Connor’s thirium pump, popped out of his chest and died.

“It’s nice to see you too Elijah.” Elijah paused and tilted his head to Mr.Seymore. 

“Philip.” His tone was kind, but his posture was stiff. Connor wondered about the story between those two.

Mr.Graff reached out towards him.“Elijah, actually can I speak to you please.” Elijah paused again from escorting Connor. He turned to look at Mr.Graff, his jaw tight. 

“I’ve kinda had my fill of human dance partners for now.” With that, Elijah rolled his eyes and continued pulling Connor towards the dance floor. There weren’t that many people there right now. There was a slow song playing. One that was meant for couples. 

Elijah huffed out in frustration quietly. “That fucker. He’s a such a dick.” Connor raised an eyebrow in question. “Mr.Seymore?” He asked 

Elijah shrugged. “I was referring to Jason, but yes, him too. That man is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, don’t trust anything he says.” Connor nodded, making note of that. He had the feeling of that, the moment he met him.

Connor quickly scanned the dance floor to find Simon and Markus still on it holding each other closely. Connor again felt himself wishing to be held like that and then sucked in a quiet breath when Elijah pulled Connor’s hand to rest just above his hips, and then reached up to dangled his own arms off Connor’s shoulders. He stepped closer into Connor’s space, their bodies nearly pressed together. Connor felt like he was going to stop working.

“Come on Connor, how about we get this plan of the road. I’m getting rather tired of all this fake smiling.” Connor took a deep breath to calm himself. Of course... that’s all this was. Elijah was just trying to bring the attention of the room to them. The creator of androids dancing so intimately with a deviant and Cyberlife’s last failed creation at that was sure that gather attention.

Connor swallowed. He glanced down at Elijah, the man was smirking at how uncomfortable he was. Connor cleared his throat lightly, Connor was certain that it felt dry. How was that possible?! “H-how are you planning to take the attention off Markus. You never told me.” 

Elijah smiled. “You’ll see Connor.” Elijah pressed closer to him, his nose brushing the side of Connor’s neck and Connor got a warning for a small temperature spike. Connor tried to keep his breathing even and his mind focused. He glanced around the room. Indeed, many eyes were on them.

“Well, whatever you’re doing it’s working. Everyone here is staring at you right now.” Elijah chuckled and Connor could have sworn that he felt it vibrate within him. Elijah pulled slightly back to look up into his eyes. The cold blue eyes were light and warm, and this smile... this smile wasn’t fake. 

“Are you sure they’re not staring at you, Connor?” The creator asked. 

Connor shook his head. “Why would they be?” 

Elijah tilted his head. “You’re one of a kind. There’s no other model out there like you...that makes absolutely...fascinating.”Connor had to look away from the intensity of the man's gaze, he shook his head again.

“There’s nothing special about me Elijah. Markus... he is one of a kind too, but unlike me, he’s not a failure.” Elijah furrowed his brow. He glanced back at the refreshment table were Jason Graff and Philip Seymore was still standing looking at them. 

“You’re not a failure Connor.” Elijah’s face was serious, yet Connor couldn’t help but disagree with him. 

“I actually am. I was simply a prototype Elijah. my mission at was to apprehend and solve the growing deviant problem. My last mission from Cyberlife was to find the leader of Jericho, apprehend him, and stop the revolution. While I accomplished the first task, I failed at the other two and while I don’t regret it for one second, I recognize that I failed my mission...nearly all of them now that I think about it. Thus my model was a failure. There’s.... nothing special about me.” Elijah was looking at Connor with an unreadable look in his eyes. Connor inhaled another silent breath when Elijah moved an arm from its position on his shoulder and used his hand to caress his face. He pressed himself closer to Connor, his face inches from his. Connor could feel the warmth of his breath, could practically analyze the champagne on his breath. Connor felt his own breath quicken.

“Connor...” Elijah whispered he rubbed his thumb against Connor’s cheekbone rather lovingly.“If only you knew... just how special you are.” Without another word, Elijah gently leaned forward and pressed his lips to Connor’s, and Connor felt like the world had stopped moving.

Connor’s eyes widened slightly, his hands tightened on the creator's waist. He was frozen. Elijah’s lips were warm and soft. He got so much information from the kiss, from his vitals to his blood type, to all the known information about him. Connor felt Elijah smile slightly against his lips and Connor blinked. He realized that he was returning the kiss. His lips moving against Elijah’s in perfect union. Connor found his eyes closing, and embracing the kiss further. Connor lost track of what was happening around him, his mind completely focused on the man in front of him and the sensual movement of their lips.

There was sudden gasp within the crowd and panicked murmuring in the room for about five seconds, causing Connor to break the kiss. Connor opened his eyes just in time to see the lights flicker back on. Connor came back to himself, he pulled away from Elijah slightly to see the man smiling at him. Connor looked around the room his eyes falling to Markus. He must have executed the plan, while he and Elijah were...well his thirium pump was still beating intensely at the thought of it. Connor felt himself freeze at the look of panic on Markus’s face. Something was wrong. 

Connor startled when Elijah was suddenly ripped from his grasp. Connor looked to find Jason Graff standing there holding Elijah’s arm rather tightly.

“Elijah, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Mr. Graff fiercely whispered. Elijah ripped his arms from the others man grasp. He glared at the current CEO. 

“First of all don’t you ever fucking grab me like that again! Second, would you care to let me know what you’re even talking about?!” Elijah whispered back, the spite wasn’t to be missed. 

The look that passed over Mr.Graff’s face was bitter and angry.“You always did prefer these fucking things over actual humans, didn’t you?! What about them draws you to them so much! None of what they’re feeling is fucking real?!” The pain in the CEO’s voice got to Connor. He didn’t know if the man really believed what he was saying or if he was just that angry and hurt. The man really did appear to love Elijah. 

“Well, He’s not a treacherous snake for one, and unlike you, I can trust him! Unlike everyone else in this fucking room, I know what to expect from him! Unlike you, I know that he won’t hurt me” Elijah fiercely whispered. 

Mr.Graff rubbed his hands over his face. “I never wanted to hurt you, Elijah, you know how I feel about you!” 

Connor grimaced as Elijah rolled his eyes.“There’s nothing that I can do about that! You never were able to accept that I just couldn’t return your feelings, and don’t think for a second I regret not doing so! Is that the reason why you betrayed me?” The creator bit out. 

Mr.Graff ran a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly styled locks. “You think if I had any other choice things would have gone the way they did! I had no other option, Elijah!” Elijah crossed his arms.

“That’s a fucking lie, Jason.” Elijah gritted out. “ It doesn’t matter what is fucking against you, you always have a choice!”

“If you would just listen to me–“ 

Elijah cut him off a fire in his eyes. “There’s nothing to hear! If you had anything to say to me or had any of the innocence that you claim you do, you would have told me by now!”Mr.Graff attempted to say something else, but Elijah cut him off with the raise of his hands.

“I think I’ve had enough for the night, I’m still recovering from being shot you know.” Elijah reached back and grabbed Connors hand. 

“Thank you for the invitation, Jason, it was nice to see you. Have a nice speech. Goodnight.” Elijah tugged Connor after him, but Mr.Graff didn’t seem done just yet. He reached out and grabbed Elijah’s arm again. 

“Would you stop acting like a self-entitled child for two seconds and just talk to me!” Elijah whipped around no doubt to have more bitter and venomous words that Connor was positive would hurt the CEO, when he was cut off by a sudden scream, and shots rang out across the room. Everyone started screaming and running around trying to escape the fire. Connor immediately jumped into action and pushed Elijah down to the ground. 

Connor felt a bullet hit him in the shoulder, and he was able to use it to calculate where the shooter was coming from. He turned to find a human man holding an automatic rifle, by the refreshment table firing into the crowd. Connor took less than a second to react, he pulled out his gun which Elijah had purchased and given to him just in case he needed it. Connor aimed and fired, he hit the shooter right between the eyes. The shots immediately ceased and the man fell to over, the gun clattering to the ground. 

Connor, after making sure the threat had been neutralized turned back to check and see if everyone was alright. Connor felt panic grip his system when his eyes fell on Markus, he was holding Simon in his arms. His hands were stained blue with Simon’s blood. Connor quickly scanned them. He learned Simon had been hit with a bullet in the stomach, but it had luckily missed anything important. He would need some repairs and his blue blood replenished but he would be alright.

Connors' eyes fell back to Elijah. He froze at the sight. Mr.Graff was on the ground a puddle of blood around him. He was grunting out heavily in pain gripping his stomach. Elijah was over him, his hands pressed over the CEO’s, against the stomach wound. Connor scanned him...oh God...

“Fuck. Holy fuck! Jason, you got to keep pressure okay! I know it hurts but you have to keep pressure on it!” Mr. Graff gritted his teeth, he removed his hands and reached out and grasped Elijah’s shoulder.

“No Jason keep your hands on the wound!” Mr.Graff ‘s smile was painful, he pulled Elijah down and pressed his lips gently to his. 

“I–Ughn! I just–wanted to do that--before I–“ Elijah cut him off. 

“Before nothing you asshole! Don’t you dare fucking think of dying on me! You think you can just get away with kissing me and not expect me to cuss you out for it! Don’t you fucking die before I can!”

Mr.Graff laughed though it was more of a cough, blood fell out the corner of his lips. “Follow--the signal, Elijah...you’ll–you’ll know what--to do–when you find it...”

Connor closed his eyes. 

“Jason! Jason don’t you fucking dare!” Elijah’s voice was shaking. Connor bent down next to him, he wrapped his arm around his shoulders. 

“Jason!”

“He’s gone, Elijah.” Elijah shook his head, huffing out a shaky breath. He removed his bloody hands from the deceased man’s body and hid his face in the crook of his elbow.

“Fuck!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaand, bye bye Chris Pine. >.< Sorry guys to anyone who liked him! 
> 
> A lot has happened, Elijah and Connor FINALLY kissed, Markus has become Sombra from Overwatch... xD and if you guys think this was intense wait till the next chapter! ;3
> 
> If you guys are wondering what Philip Seymore looks like I imagined him as Gerald Butler. (only with a southern accent instead of a Scottish one xD and much more large)
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter! And I'll see you all Thursday for the next one! Thank you all yet again so much for your comments and support! I can't believe how far we've made it into the story and I never thought people would be interested in it like this! You guys rock! <33333333
> 
> Have a nice day or night, my friends!


	20. Chapter 20:Signal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! 
> 
> Another chapter is here for you,(and it's even longer than the last one TTwTT) but I'm so excited for this chapter, everything is coming to a head and about the be revealed... >;3
> 
> Remember guys there won't be an update Saturday, for I'll be out of town from tomorrow to next Tuesday. However, I will still update a chapter that day (as I'll still be working on this) even if it comes late. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Saturday, 8:00 AM

“...Riots have broken out on the streets by anti-android protestors after having claimed the following events at the Cyberlife annual Gala, in which a gunman who they claim was apart of the group opened fire at the event. Two androids were killed as well as five humans including the CEO of Cyberlife, Jason Graff. The gunman managed to non-fatality injure several others at the event before he was quickly neutralized by Cyberlife’s latest model RK800...”

Markus pinched the bridge of his nose. He changed the channel. 

“...The newly appointed CEO of Cyberlife, Philip Seymore, has offered to pay for the funerals of those whose lives were tragically lost during last nights events...”

Markus sighed, Simon reached out and grabbed his hand, Markus squeezed back, and changed the channel.

“Welcome back to KNC. We are here with the newly appointed CEO of Cyberlife, Philip Seymore, who has so graciously accepted an interview with us.” The interviewer turned to the large man. Markus felt his lip curl at the sight of him. 

“ Mr.Seymore, the unnamed anti-android group has claimed the attack that happened last night, by anonymously publishing this statement to the web, quote; ‘Androids are stealing our jobs, and making it significantly harder for us to support our families. Is the unemployment rate, the number of home foreclosures, the steady rise in poverty, and the lives that were lost during the ‘revolution’ not enough to show that we’re slowly signing our lives away to these things. And now we want to give them rights to do as they please, why because they say they are alive? Just because you are fooled by their ‘humanity’ doesn’t mean that we are! Androids will be the downfall of our race, and all of you are too blind to see it! Cyberlife doesn’t care about our lives, they only care about their profit, and we are here to prove to them to them that we won’t silently disappear into the background. We will fight for our rights as humans, by whatever means necessary!’” The interviewer paused and took a breath, they sat down the tablet they were reading from and clasped their hands together.

“Mr.Seymore this was obviously a planned attack. What do you think that the group hopes to gain, by taking the lives of innocent humans? Doesn’t it defeat the message of their cause, by killing the very humans whose rights they want to protect?”

Philip Seymore gave a slight smile. The older man’s smile made Markus’s skin figuratively crawl. He and Simon had met the man briefly during the Gala. Markus from the start did not have a good feeling about him. Markus had learned that he was at the time, the Director of Futurology and that he was responsible for designing and programming most of the recent tech for Cyberlife. Markus had quickly learned through speaking with him, that he had some subtle yet very unfavorable opinions about androids. He had never officially said that he disliked them, but it was obvious that he didn’t consider them beings with feelings.

Markus had grown extremely uncomfortable in his presence and quickly escaped to the dance floor. The man...disturbed him with his too fake grins, and while Markus wasn’t particularly frightened of the man, he had noticed the looks that he had been giving Simon. It wasn’t just quick glances, it was hard predatory stares. He didn’t stop either. Markus, after he had pulled Simon to the dance floor, noticed the man continuously looking at him. Simon apparently had noticed it as well, though he kept his gaze steadily from drifting to the large man. Markus found himself feeling VERY protective and had to refrain from glaring at the odd overbearing man.

“You have to understand,” The new CEO said with his heavy southern dialect.“The attack was not against humans, in general, it was against Cyberlife personally. Cyberlife creates the things that they hate the most, and so to them we are their enemies. Yet, I find it odd they talk about the lives that were lost during the revolution, and I’m the one who personally went to the families of whose lives were tragically taken last night. However, thanks to the quick thinking and response of our latest model RK800 ‘Connor’ not as many lives were taken as there could have been.” 

Markus narrowed his eyes. He didn’t understand. Why was the man even mentioning Connor? He obviously didn’t think of androids in a positive manner. So why was he painting Connor in such a good light?

“Yes, the RK800 model who neutralized the terrorist. Would you be willing to tell us more about this android?” Mr.Seymore shifted and smiled wider in response, Markus wanted to punch him in the face. 

“Of course. RK800 was a prototype and the very last model that we released at Cyberlife. He was designed to assist the police department as well as investigate and deal with deviant androids. He’s quite remarkable. He’s a walking forensics lab and can process evidence in real time, being able to identify any sample such as blood, drugs, you name it. He can scan and analyze a scene and reconstruct the events that happened, providing vital information such as the direction of travel, velocities, trajectories, and likely collisions based on material density and friction. Very similar to that, he can also pre-construct scenarios, creating a dozen different probabilities as to how a scenario will play out and how to best handle such events. We all saw how good he is at that with his quick thinking and reflex’s when the tragic incident began. I have to say some of my best work if I do say so my self.” Markus glanced to the side as he heard Mr.Kamski let out a rather venomously rude word at the man's comment. 

“Let me ask you a question about deviancy. Is your company aware of exactly what causes it? Former CEO Elijah Kamski ensured that his machines were completely compliant to human command and incapable of forming any sort of emotion or sentient thought. He was at the Gala as well and when asked about this, he simply stated that there were ‘fascinating’. He was also seen sharing a kiss with the RK800 model as well. As he is no longer apart of the company, I would very much like to know where Cyberlife stands with their androids. Does Cyberlife believe that they are truly alive?”

Mr.Seymore laughed. “Oh yes. Elijah has always had a soft spot for his creations, I would even go as far as to say that he preferred their company over actual humans. None of us ever really knew what was going on inside of his head. However, I very much doubt that he even thought that his creation could...evolve into something like this. Much like everyone else, Cyberlife hasn’t really had any contact with the reclusive man since he left the company. As to where the company stands on the Android revolution, poor Jason never did get a chance to speak on the matter. I will say that we at Cyberlife are planning some big things involving our androids. We’ve decided at this time, not to release a statement while we restructure the company to accommodate for the loss of our late CEO. So I suppose as of right now, we have no official opinion about them. Jason had a fine mind, and his loss comes as an absolute shock to us. He will be deeply missed.” 

“Can we please turn this lying sack of shit off! I can’t fucking deal with him anymore!” Mr.Kamski yelled. Markus raised an eyebrow at the outburst. Every android in the room looked at him in concern. 

The man was leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed against his chest, he had closed his eyes and was taking deep breaths. His entire disposition was terrifying. There was no relaxed part of him anywhere. His shoulders were tight, as well as his jaw, and even his hands were clenched. He gave off an aura that was extremely dangerous and hostile.

Simon sighed. “I kinda agree, he’s just talking around the questions. I don’t think we’re going to learn anything more from him or the news Markus.” 

Markus squeezed his hand again before shutting the TV off. Markus held Simon’s hand tight. The image of him lying on the floor bleeding unable to leave his mind. 

The night had been going well, despite how uncomfortable it had started. Markus was thankful for having already attended many fancy social gatherings with Carl. Although, those were nowhere near the scale of this event. As soon as they entered the building, Markus had been whisked away by the late CEO, to meet his shareholders. 

Markus had smiled and charmed his way through them with more ease than he thought he could muster. They had asked him all sort of uncomfortable questions. About his past life. About his model. About Jericho. About Simon...in fact, there was a lot about Simon now that he thought about it. Simon seemed very uncomfortable in their presence and their attention as well. He had become even tenser when he had met Philip Seymore, which Markus wondered about, but ultimately and understandably, never got around to asking him about. 

Not long after meeting them, Markus and Simon had escaped to the dance floor. Markus thought it would be the best place to initiate the plan. Plus Mr.Kamski had most been on the dance floor as well dancing with many different people, much to Connor’s obvious jealously Markus had noticed. Markus was certain that Mr.Kamski was going to do his distraction there. Though what that distraction could be was beyond Markus. The man was after all unpredictable. While he and Simon waited, they actually had a good time together. Had the circumstances been different it would have been a fun date between them, however, the constant awareness of Fortune residing in his head and what they were there for, killed the mood slightly. 

Markus' eyes had constantly drifted back to Connor. He noticed how Mr.Kamski kept looking at him while he danced with his various partners. It was obvious whatever his plan was involved, Connor. Either that or he was trying to make Connor jealous. Which made Markus mildly angry, but he decided to trust the creator.

Imagine Markus’s surprise when the extravagant man pulled Connor to the dance floor and slow danced with him in the most intimate of ways before KISSING him. That had certainly drawn the attention of the room. At first, Markus, when Mr.Kamski pulled Connor to that dance floor, thought he was just trying to rescue Connor from the onslaught of attention he had gathered from the late CEO and now the current one. Markus had been all types of wrong.

Markus quickly realized, to his horror and incredulous anger, that this was the distraction! He was horrified that the man had chosen such an obvious distraction, and furious that the man had chosen THAT as the distraction. The was no doubt that Connor was going to know exactly what the kiss was for and misread the intent. Markus was agitated with the creator for playing with Connor’s emotions like this, and he was defiantly going to have a word with him.

Still, it worked for its purpose, and once all the attention was off Markus, Fortune quickly set to work. The sensation had been odd but he had –well fortune had done most of the work– shut off all the lights. Fortune quickly began searching for the rest of his code, and then Fortune suddenly gasped in complete and utter panic. The lights had come back on just as quickly as they had gone off. Fortune then informed Markus that the rest of his code was no longer there in the building. Markus didn’t have to time register his shock before shots rang out in the room.

Markus had been further distracted when Simon had been hit with a bullet to the stomach and Markus had felt fear grip his system like never before. Markus didn’t even have time to register where the shots were coming from, he just instantly covered Simon’s body with his and tried to protect him from the incoming fire. However, as quickly as the shots began they ended. When Markus deemed it safe to look up, he saw Connor standing with a gun and an apparent gunman dead on the ground. There was no doubt that many people were alive because of Connor. Still, even with Connor’s quick thinking, people had still been killed. 

Markus was confused and frustrated. He didn’t know why, but he was convinced that this attack wasn’t random and that it had nothing to do with the anti-android protestors. Markus didn’t know how Cyberlife had gotten them involved, but everything that happened, including the late CEO Jason Graff being killed, was planned. 

“Fortune. We need to speak with you and I’m not asking.” Markus said out loud, holding out his hand and waiting. After exactly one second, a tiny hologram of Connor flickered onto his hand.

“Hello Markus.”

Markus frowned at the AI. “What the fuck happened last night! You promised me that none of us was any danger, and yet Simon got shot and people are dead!”

“I did not calculate these events happening.” Fortunes tone was too calm and collected. He didn’t at all seem bothered by what had happened. Didn’t he feel anything?!

“You didn’t calculate these events! Can’t you come up with billions of scenario’s, you’re telling me that something like this wasn’t in either of them?!” Markus felt his anger grow as Fortune simply nodded with no other emotion. “I calculated the events regarding you four and success of the plan. I didn’t take into account the other people at the event or Cyberlife pulling a move like this. The other guest, as many of them were human were not my concern, and while I truly wish that I could have prevented their deaths, they are not what we should be worrying about.”

Markus’s other fist clenched. “They weren’t a concern! People dying are not a concern to you! Simon was almost killed, I thought that his survival was imperative?!” Fortune let out a sigh that was close to frustration. 

“It is! I wish that he hadn’t been hurt, however, honestly after reviewing the events I’ve come to the conclusion that he was not the main target!” Markus glared. He felt like his blood was boiling. 

“Fortune he could have died! You--“

“Stop! I understand that you’re upset, but you’re letting your feelings for your significant other get in the way of your rational judgment. If you would take a moment to think, clearly you would realize that Jason Graff was the one they wanted dead not Simon!” Markus glared, but Simon placed a hand on his shoulder, he gently caressed his cheek with his other one.

“Markus calm down. I’m okay, thanks to Mr.Kamski teaching us how I was able to be fixed right up. I’m as good as new, okay.” Markus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As much as he hated to admit it, Fortune was right, he wasn’t thinking clearly. He was angry. He was frustrated. He was...scared. Cyberlife was getting bolder. They knew they wouldn’t be able to trace the deaths back to them, and they felt like they could get away with anything now.

Markus stood and walked back and forth for a good moment, his free hand over his eyes. He took some deep breaths. 

“Alright, alright. I’m calm.” Markus removed his hand to once again look at Fortune. 

“Good.” Fortune began. “Now as I said, I’ve come to the conclusion that Jason Graff was the only one that was intended to be killed and everyone else was collateral damage to make it appear as though he wasn’t the main target.” Markus’s brows knitted together in confusion. He looked around the room. 

Mr.Kamski hadn’t said a word since his little outburst, he was staring steadily ahead at the floor seemingly lost in his mind. Simon was watching Markus intensely making sure that he remained calm. Connor...well he hadn’t said a word since the events last night. They were all mentally drained. With the stress of everything, there had been no time to relax. Josh and North were currently setting up a schedule for a guard post. They were going to reactivate the security gates and not let just anyone in here anymore. They couldn’t afford to take the risk, not with Cyberlife behaving so boldly.

Mr.Kamski oddly enough out of everyone worried Markus the most. His entire demeanor was hostile. He had barely spoken any words other than his recent outburst while watching the news, but anyone could tell that he was severely pissed off.

Markus twisted his lips in thought.“Why would Cyberlife want Jason Graff dead? The man barely seemed like he could walk two steps without tripping over his own feet. How was he a threat?”

“They killed him because of me.” Markus looked at Mr.Kamski. The man's eyes had closed again, and his jaw was tight. Connor was looking at the creator, his hands fidgeted, and he looked like he wanted to reach out and touch him in comfort...but he stopped himself. 

“What do you mean Mr.Kamski?” Simon asked. 

“He knew too much, and Philip knew exactly how he felt about me. He couldn’t trust him not to tell me anything, and so he removed him as an obstacle.” Mr.Kamski’s hand tightened into a fist as he spoke. 

Fortune nodded. “Yes. I came to the same conclusion. It’s more than likely the reason that the rest of my code had been removed from the building. Once they saw you Mr.Kamski, they didn’t want to risk it. However, it was nowhere near in my calculations that Philip Seymore would have done something so publicly.” 

Markus bit his lip. “You’re certain that it was Mr.Seymore.” 

Mr.Kamski clicked his tongue. “Of course it was that fucker! I should have known that it was him, I could tell from the way that he spoke about Jason. That fucking smug grin he had on his face. He knew what was going to happen. I don’t know how he fucking got the anti-android protestors involved, but this shit was planned! I don’t know why I never put two and two together, Jason would have never–“ Mr.Kamski broke off in a shaky breath. Connor this time was brave enough to carry out his previous action and grasped the creator's hand. 

“Elijah,” Connor said simply, but the one word had many different meanings. 

Mr.Kamski swallowed.“He was trying to tell me. Every time he kept asking me to just listen and talk to him, he was trying to tell me. And I was so far up my own fucking feelings that I refused to see that. Now... it’s too fucking late.” Everyone one was silent. 

“You can’t blame yourself Mr.Kamski,” Markus said. 

Mr.Kamski laughed bitterly. “Oh trust me, I don’t blame myself. It’s obvious who’s to blame here.”

“What do we know about Philip Seymore?” Simon asked after a moment. 

“Philip Seymore. Born September 18, 1985. Age 53. IQ 160. Graduated from The University of Colbridge with a degree in Technological Programming and Development at the age of 21. Became apart of the U.S Army at the age of 23. Served the in the military for 20 years, before he was medically discharged after having nearly been fatally injured on one of his tours. Worked as a freelance programmer for some time, before he was approached by Elijah Kamski to work for Cyberlife.” Markus blinked as Fortune relayed the information. 

Mr.Kamski snorted. “In hindsight, that was probably the worst fucking decision I made.”

Markus didn’t know what to think of the new CEO. None of this information told him anything as to why the older man would want any of them dead. Markus looked to Mr.Kamski to see if he would know anything, but the creator just sat his chair, his hands clasped under his chin. He was again deep in thought.

“Okay so we know a little bit about him now, but it still doesn’t explain anything. How are the anti-android protestors involved?”Simon asked. 

Fortune shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s possible that he somehow has them under his control, though at the moment I can’t calculate how. I need the rest of my code.” Fortune felt just as frustrated as Markus felt.

Markus rubbed his temple. “How do you suggest that we find it?”

“Follow the signal.” Everyone looked at Mr. Kamski. 

“Elijah?” Connor questioned. 

“It’s what Jason said to me before he... he told me to follow the signal and I would know what to do when I found it.” Mr.Kamski’s sky blue eyes pierced Markus’s mismatched ones. 

“Markus, you’re hooked up to the network instantaneously right?” Markus raised a brow and nodded. He was confused as to where this was going.

“Thanks to Fortune I am, why?” Markus asked. 

“Fortune you said that when you would transmit the virus, it would be through a signal precise location right?” Fortune looked just as confused at Mr.Kamski.

“Yes.” He said slowly.

“Before a signal can’t just be transmitted, it has to be connected to something. I’m thinking that the virus is being transmitted through the public network. At first I thought that Cyberlife was uploading it through its automatic updates, however, once an android goes deviant those updates cease so that they can no longer be traced. It would also take to much effort and become too obvious if the virus was transmitted this way. However, the one thing that androids connect too all the time is the public network. It makes perfect sense, and you could easily spy on androids and pick and choose which ones you want without ever drawing attention to yourself before you wanted to.” Markus blinked. He couldn’t believe it. It was ingenious, and no one would have ever figured it out until it was too late. Markus blinked dumbly at the creator. No wonder Cyberlife feared Mr.Kamski.

“What are you suggesting Mr.Kamski,” Markus asked. 

“I believe that Fortune would be able to find their signal and it’s location, by tracing it through the network.” The man said.

Fortune grabbed his chin in thought. “It’s possible. However, I would need for the signal to be continuously transmitted in order for me to even be able to possibly lock onto it. I very much doubt the Cyberlife is going to have me transmitting it now that they’ve made such a spectacle” Mr.Kamski shook his head. 

“You don’t need to lock onto the signal per say, a program of your size will need and large sever and power source in order to host you. Narrow down the places in the city that are drawing the most power. It would be somewhere remote and out of the way, somewhere that won’t draw attention. Once you’ve narrowed it down, look for any possible servers and search for your code. traces of it will remain in the network, the location should be relatively easy to find then.” Markus was amazed. He would have certainly never thought of something like that.

Fortune hummed. “Yes, that just might work. Markus I would need you to go on standby for just a moment, not having to share your processor will make the task go much faster.” Markus frowned, but he didn’t seem to have a choice but to comply. 

“Alright–“ Things went dark and then Markus gasped as he was suddenly jolted awake. Markus blinked, he was still standing in the exact same spot that he had been.

“I apologize for that Markus, but Mr.Kamski was right! I found where the rest of me is being held. It’s in a shutdown district of warehouses of the outer edge of the city owned by Cyberlife.” Markus blinked, damn that was fast.

“Alright... that’s wonderful. However, there’s one problem. There’s no way that Cyberlife is going to leave it unguarded, how do you suggest that we get in there for you to download the rest of your code?” Markus asked. 

“You’re not going. Connor and I are. We’ll both go and I’ll download the code and bring it back.” ‘Markus was surprised Connor’s head didn’t come off his shoulders with the way the way his head snapped to look at Mr.Kamski. 

“Excuse me!” Markus was surprised, he had never heard Connor yell before. “You’re not going anywhere near there! It’s suicide! I will go an handle it!” 

Mr.Kamski crossed his arms, and tilted his head back, challenging Connor.“Please explain to me how it makes it any less suicide for you! There is safety in numbers. You’re not going there on your own!” 

Connor stood up from his seat, he stared Mr.Kamski down. “You’re. Not. Going.” 

Mr.Kamski stood as well, he stepped close to Connor, getting in his face.

“Try and stop me. Rather you agree or not I’m going to this warehouse. Jason told ME that I would know what to do when I followed the signal. That lets me know that there is something there that only I can get by. So you can either come along quietly and make sure that nothing happens to me, or we can sit here and argue until you realize I’m right and you come along anyway.” The look Connor gave the creator had startled Markus, he had never, ever, seen him angry before. 

“Elijah, I don’t think you realize the danger you're putting yourself in! If I get shot, I’ll more than likely make it out alive. If you get shot, you will more than likely die.’ Mr.Kamski shrugged, he patted Connor on his chest. 

“Well then, I suppose you should make sure that I don’t get shot. Just like me if you get shot in the right place, you’ll die as well. ” For a moment Markus thought Connor was going to physically pick up the man and punt him across the room. Connor turned around, away from Mr.Kamski and breathed in deeply again. 

“You are the most frustrating, stubborn–“ Connor paused taking another deep breath. Markus glanced at Simon who shrugged back at him. He was at a lost just as much as Markus was. 

“Connor,” Mr.Kamski started, his voice yet again soft. “I... I have to do this Connor. For Jason...for C-chloe.... for her sisters, for the innocent people who were just ‘collateral’ damage. For every android who’s lives had been wrongfully taken and who have been kidnaped. So that Markus can continue to fight for android freedom and he and Simon can stop being disgustingly cute and just fucking get married already.” Markus felt himself blush, they weren’t that obvious were they?

Mr.Kamski walked up to Connor, who’s back was still turned to him. He gently reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. He gently pulled at the shoulder asking without words for Connor to turn around, and Markus felt like he was intruding on a private moment. 

The way that Connor looked at Mr.Kasmki. There was no way that he wasn’t in love with him, and he was absolutely terrified of losing him. Mr.Kamski... he was normally extremely hard to read, however, at this very moment he seemed so incredibly open. Markus didn’t realize just how high he viewed the ingenious man with respect until now. Markus sometimes forgot that he was human, with his own emotions and flaws. He was reminded of that by the way that he gazed at Connor. Perhaps Markus was mistaken in his earlier assessment. Perhaps the kiss at the Gala Mr.Kasmki had given Connor, was more than just a distraction.

“I have to do this Connor, and I need your help. Markus and Simon or anyone else can’t be involved, so if we get caught it only falls on us. I don’t say please often Connor, but stopping Cyberlife is more important than my ego. Please, Connor. Help me.” Connor stared at him for a long time, before he took another deep breath looking into Mr.Kamski’s eyes. 

Markus watched in slight awe as creator faced creation.

“Okay.”

***

Saturday, 9:00 PM

Hank had been heavily against the entire idea when Connor had asked to borrow his car. He had ranted at Connor for at least twenty minutes before Connor was able to get a word in. By the end of it, Connor was able to get him to agree, after arguing with him for another twenty-five minutes about why he couldn’t come. Hank then proceeded to cuss and threaten Elijah when he arrived at the facility. To Connor’s mortification he had even pulled Elijah into an unoccupied office and forbid Connor from coming in ‘They were just going to talk.’ 

After about ten minutes Connor began pacing. He couldn’t hear anything in the room. Connor had rolled his coin desperately in his hands as he waited. After another five minutes, They exited the office. Elijah to Connor’s surprise looked the same as he had when he originally went in there. He had no bruises or possible broken nose or anything that Connor’s overactive mind had imagined Hank giving him.

Elijah was amused by his obvious worry for his safety and put his mind to ease. Apparently, he and Hank had just talked, though he refused to tell Connor what he had talked about. Hank wouldn’t tell him anything either, he simply told Connor to be careful before he had to leave to go back to the station. The rioters were making things incredibly difficult for the DPD, especially considering the bill that was currently in place protecting androids. 

The rest of the day had consisted of the four of them coming up with contingency plans just in case things went horribly wrong. Fortune had pulled up a grid of the layout for the abandoned warehouses and had pinpointed the specific building that he was in. He then had Connor download the map and calculate all the potential exit's for them to escape in case something went wrong.

They all decided that it would be best to do this under the cover of night to make it easier to hide just in case they had to. Once they were inside and they found the severs Elijah was to download Fortune directly and they were to come right back to the facility.

It was a solid plan. Yet, Connor was stressed out of his mind. Markus and Simon had tried to distract him while Elijah prepared a laptop to be able to hold the entirety of Fortunes program. As well as preparing for any security that he would have to hack his way past. However, nothing they said or could calm him. Just looking at them reminded Connor of the responsibility that he was carrying tonight. He couldn’t afford to fail this mission. Everyone was counting on him.

Connor wasn’t stupid, he knew to sneak around this place at night was going to be extremely risky. There was no way that Cyberlife was going to leave this place unguarded. They could be very well walking to their death tonight. However, there was no changing Elijah’s mind. Elijah wanted to do whatever it took to take down Cyberlife. It had nothing to do with them removing him from the company. It was personal now. They had attempted to murder him and had slowly taken away everything that he cared about. 

Jason Graff may not have been on his good side, but Connor could tell from the way Elijah had shed a few tears after the onsite coroner had confirmed him dead that he still cared about that late CEO. 

Chloe...there was no doubt that Elijah had loved her in his own way. He had watched her kill herself and she had died in his arms...Connor couldn’t imagine someone he loved dying in his arms.

Connor didn’t even think that Elijah cared about his own life at this point, he was willing to do anything to stop them and that frightened Connor. 

Connor thought of the kiss that they shared at the Gala. He was fully aware that Elijah was doing it to cause a distraction. It had worked for his purpose. Connor wanted to be upset, yet he found that he couldn’t. He found himself emotionally numb to everything. Connor hated to admit it, but the kiss that he shared with Elijah made him feel like nothing else was important. Connor knew at that moment that he wanted to spend as long as he possibly could with the creator. He without a doubt, knew that he was in love with Elijah. 

Connor hoped that he felt the same way, Elijah had smiled at him, a real and true smile after he broke the kiss, yet neither had time to speak on it with the following events. Doubts ran through Connor’s mind. Even with the kiss, there was still the possibility that Elijah didn’t feel the same, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Elijah was playing with him. What scared Connor the most is that he didn’t care if Elijah didn’t feel the same way. He felt so strongly about him, he would be happy as long as he was able to simply remain in the man's presence. 

Eventually, night came, and they left the facility to head to the warehouse. The ride over had been silent. Connor had no idea how to make conversation. Elijah had attempted to fill the quiet by turning on the radio, however, every station that he turned to was covering the riots that were still taking place. He ended up turning it off and simply rode the rest of the drive in silence. 

Connor had parked the car about a block away so that no cameras could take pictures of the plates. The was absolutely no one around so Connor figured that the car would be fine. He and Elijah ended up walking the rest of the way. 

There was a tall fence blocking the buildings with a big ‘Do Not Enter’ sign plastered loud and clear. Elijah and Connor looked out for any guards, but there appeared to be no one around. 

“That’s odd that there wouldn’t be any guards,” Connor said. 

Elijah nodded. “I agree. Scan the area and see if there are any heat signatures nearby.” Connor did as he was told and was surprised to see that there was no one around. 

“I’m not getting a read for anyone. This... doesn’t sit right, if I was hiding the code for a supercomputer that was crucial to my plans, I would not leave it unguarded.” Connor bit his lip, his nerves were rising. 

“That means one of two things. Either there are guards further inside. Or Philip is a fucking cocky asshole who doesn’t think that anyone is going to be able to track Fortune down here. I put all of my money on the second one. His downfall is going to be underestimating me. Come on let’s get closer.” Connor reached out an grabbed Elijah’s wrist. Elijah turned to look at him. 

“If we’re going to do this Elijah, you have to promise me two things.” Elijah sighed and placed a hand on his hip. He tilted his head part in impatience and part in question. 

“One. You stay near me at ALL times, no running off anywhere without me.” Elijah rolled his eyes and looked away from Connor, but his lips were slightly quirked at the corners. “What’s the second promise?” Connor gently turned his head with two fingers under his chin to look at him. The action surprised Elijah, and he looked up at Connor in wonder.

“If anything happens, then I want you to do your best to get out of there. Don’t worry about me, don’t stay behind for me, you just focus on getting out alive.” Elijah took a moment to register what he said before he shook his head. 

“I’m not just going to leave you Connor-“ Connor shook his head placing his hands on Elijah’s shoulders, he squeezed it earnestly. 

“I’m not important Elijah. While it would be regrettable if my time was cut short, it would be catastrophic if you were to be taken. You have the mind that can destroy Cyberlife, that is why they tried to kill you.” Connor’s mind went back to the conversation that he, Markus, and Simon had before they left. While Markus and Simon wanted them both to come back alive, they had all agreed that Elijah was to be their top priority in keeping safe. Fortune told them that they were all important, but they realize they would have never even gotten this far if not for Elijah’s mind. Whatever Cyberlife had planned for all of them, Elijah could stop it, which is why they tried so hard to ensure that he knew nothing.

Elijah’s brow was furrowed, he slowly shook his head. “You... You are important Connor--”

“Please promise me, Elijah.” Elijah shook his head again.

“Please.”Connor’s voice was near begging. Elijah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He refused to look at Connor. 

“I promise.” Connor nodded and began to walk forward, but Elijah caught his wrist.

“You have to make me a promise too. Promise me, that you’ll try your hardest to get out as well.” Connor wanted to deny the promise because he knew that it would be a lie. Connor would do his very best to ensure that Elijah made it out alive, and that would mean that he would need to buy him time to escape. Doing so would more than likely get him killed. But Connor knew that Elijah wouldn’t let them go on if he didn’t promise. So Connor allowed a small smile on his face.

“I promise Elijah.” The looked that Elijah gave him, let him know that he knew he was lying. 

Elijah sighed, he began walking towards the fence. “Let’s get this over with.” 

Connor and Elijah make there way towards the fence gate. Not to their surprise, it was locked with chains and a heavy lock dangling off the front. To Connor’s surprise, Elijah reached into the backpack he had brought and pulled out a lock picking kit. Elijah then bent down and began to work. 

“I didn’t know that you could pick locks,” Connor said awkwardly. 

Elijah snorted. “We all have our past Connor.” Connor wanted to ask him what he meant by that but now wasn’t the time. Connor continued looking around the area to ensure that they were safe. After about less than two minutes Elijah yelled out quietly in triumph. 

“I still got it.”Again, Connor wanted to ask the backstory to this knowledge, but he had to focus. 

Elijah and put the lock as well had the tools back in his bag, and removed the chains as quietly as he could. Once the chains were off, he gently pushed the gate door open. It made an obnoxious screeching sound as the rusted hinges moved. Connor and Elijah both winced before Elijah stopped trying to open it and just squeezed through the small opening that he had made. Connor followed. He stepped in front of Elijah and kept his hand positioned over his gun as they rounded every corner.

It took about fifteen minutes before they were able to make it to the designated building. The odd part was they didn’t come across any security at all. Connor would have expected at least some other androids, but there were none. The place was as abandoned as it seemed. Or perhaps Philip Seymore was as arrogant as Elijah said that he was, and he truly didn’t think that anyone was going to find this place. If no one knew that there was a supercomputer being hidden here what reason would they have to come here? 

When they arrived at the door, it was obvious that something important was in here. There were still no guards, but there was a terminal connected to the outside that was controlling the lock. None of the other building they came across had it, so it was obvious that Cyberlife didn’t want just anyone else just walking in here. Elijah looked at the computer for a good minute before he went and pressed the enter key. The computer instantly lit up and asked for a user ID. 

Elijah thought for a second and then placed in Mr.Graff’s full name. The computer accepted the information and then asked for a password. 

Elijah hummed. “I could try to hack past it. However, if there is a security measure and I get it wrong I would more than likely set off an alarm.”

Connor thought of what a man like Jason Graff would use for his password. He didn’t know a lot about the man. Connor certainly knew he wouldn't be like Hank? A thought then hit Connor, it would be something important to him, and something that he wouldn’t ever forget. 

“Try your name.”Elijah glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, and Connor nodded encouragingly.

Elijah hesitantly typed in his name, and let out a shaky breath as the computer accepted it. “That sappy fucker.” Elijah mumbled under his breath. 

Connor was happy that he was right, yet he frowned slightly, it was becoming more and more obvious just how much the late CEO loved Elijah. So what had made him vote to remove Elijah from the company? He said that he had no other choice. It couldn’t have just been him trying to protect Elijah. Elijah said that he was trying to tell him the truth so he couldn’t be to concerned for his own safety. ‘...There is so much that you don’t understand!” So what was holding him back? Well if they made it out of here alive, they were going to find out.

An access code popped up next. It was an eight digit code. Connor could think of over a thousand different number combination and there was a one in five chance that he would pick the correct sequence. Connor tilted his head as Elijah without hesitation pressed in eight numbers. The computer accepted it and the door made a hissing sound as the locks released behind it. 

“What was the code?” 

Elijah let out another small sigh. “My birthday.”

Connor couldn’t say anything to that. He didn’t know why he didn’t think of it first. Connor walked through the door and pulled out his gun. Elijah glanced at it.

“What are you pulling that out for?” Elijah whispered. 

“We don’t know what’s in here Elijah, I would prefer to be prepared.” They walked a little further into the building. It was dark, extremely dark.

Connor felt Elijah grasp on to him suddenly and curse. 

“Elijah?!” Connor fiercely whispered. 

“I’m fine Connor, I just tripped. I can’t really see where I’m going.” Connor calmed himself. 

“Do you think anyone’s nearby?”Elijah asked. 

Connor closed his eyes quickly scanned the area. He didn’t get a read on anyone, but he couldn’t be certain. “I’m not picking up anyone.”

Connor heard a zipper then came to the conclusion that Elijah was fiddling with his bag. Connor flinched as a light suddenly illuminated the darkness. Elijah flashed it ahead of them. 

“That’s better,” Elijah said. 

Connor blinked. “You’re oddly prepared for this.” 

Elijah smirked at him. “This isn’t the first time breaking and entering... but that’s a story for later.” Elijah was right, that was a story for another time, and Connor was going to be sure to ask him it and every other story he wanted to know once they were out of here. 

Connor nodded his head for him to follow. “Come on.” 

The building was eerily quiet. Connor and Elijah walked the seemingly never-ending hallway they were in until they reached a door at the end. Connor instructed Elijah to point the light away from the door as he reached for the handle. 

Slowly Connor twisted it and quietly pushed the door opened. Connor peaked his head in and gave another scan. He still didn’t see anyone. He pushed the door the rest of the way open an came in contact with a dimly lit room. After assessing the room for more threats and finding none, Connor allowed Elijah inside.

Elijah turned off his light after seeing that there was enough for them to be able to move around.

“Wow, I wish I had a setup like this when I was younger.” In the middle of the room, there was a small platform that had a computer setup that would put most movie hackers to shame. There were larger monitors everywhere and on the back wall, there were servers lined up from bottom to top. There was also a cot in a corner. That let Connor know that someone was staying there. So were where they now?

“Oh wow, it stinks in here,” Elijah said in passing, Connor wasn’t equipped to smell anything, so he would have to take Elijah’s word for it.

Connor quickly followed Elijah as he made his way to the platform, there were no stairs that they could see so Connor helped Elijah climb on the platform. He then climbed up himself. Connor looked around the area, there were food wrappers everywhere. Connor picked one up and looked at it. He picked up some on the residue left and placed it on his tongue. He heard Elijah let out the most offended sound. 

“Connor what the fuck! You don’t know how old that is!”

Connor raised an eyebrow. “I’m aware. I was taking a sample to assess it’s age.” 

Elijah blinked at him. “That’s how you check for evidence?” Elijah sounded disgusted. 

Connor nodded, he was confused. “Yes, I’m sorry I thought you were aware.”

“No. I knew you were a walking forensic lab, but whoever the fuck designed for you to test evidence that way needs some serious help. Don’t try kissing me anytime soon.” Connor pushed down the hopeful feeling that suddenly rose in his chest. Elijah could have simply said that in passing as a joke.

“I don’t taste any of it. And my self-cleaning function removes any leftover residue. I can assure you that my mouth is clean.” Elijah smiled slightly as he looked around the desk.

“Is that your sweet way of trying to convince me to give you a kiss?” Connor struggled for words and Elijah chuckled.

“Well, “ Elijah said changing the subject. “whoever was here, isn’t here anymore, and there’s nothing but unhealthy snack food here. This is defiantly programmer fuel.” Connor raised a brow in question. 

“I ate plenty of this stuff in college,” Elijah answered to his look, and Connor shook his head. “No, why would there by a programmer here? If Fortune is a fully autonomous supercomputer, why would it need a programmer to run it?” Elijah shrugged, taking off his backpack. 

“Maybe they were equipping him with upgrades.” Connor frowned, it was possible. But from the state of the trash everywhere, and the sample that he had taken, someone had been here for weeks. Cyberlife would have had to have moved Fortune very recently, what reason would they have to keep a programmer here?

Connor watched Elijah hook up his laptop to the computer and began connecting to it. “It’s not password protected. Well that sucks, I created that program for nothing.” Connor shook his head, Elijah should be grateful that it wasn’t password protected that meant they wouldn’t have to stay there any longer. 

Connor stepped off the platform to get a look around the rest of the room. He walked over the cot that was there. It was rumpled and not very clean. Connor looked all around it but didn’t find any sufficient evidence that he could use to take samples and figure out who had been here. 

Connor looked around to find more food wrappers, and... a collection of comic books sitting by the bed. That was odd. Connor picked them up and looked at them. They were obviously old and well used. Connor scanned them and found leftover traces of tear stains on the pages. So someone had been crying while reading this? Connor set the comic back down and looked around the room some more. 

He walked over to another corner and found the source of the smell Elijah had complained about. Next, to a vent, there was a bucket filled with body waste. He would get no DNA evidence from it and he knew what it was so he didn’t even bother trying to take a sample. Plus he was sure Elijah would probably faint if he did. 

Connor glanced back at Elijah, he was still safe so he continued looking around the room. He walked to the back servers and scanned them. They didn’t give him much information. There were a few more doors in the room, and he peeked in them. One lead to just an empty utility closet and the other lead to another hallway. Connor didn’t want to leave Elijah alone so he just scanned where he could reach. He didn’t see anyone, so he closed the door back and walked back into the room. 

“Connor, come look at this.” Connor made his way back to Elijah. “I found this folder filled with a bunch a serial numbers, they look like they belong to androids.” Connor looked over the computer screen. Indeed they did. Connor blinked as one caught his eyes. It was the BL100 model that he had come across while sifting through cases.

“What is this list?” Connor asked. 

“It’s a processing sheet. Fortune did say that he was ordered to kidnap androids, but why would they be processing them?” Elijah opened up another folder. “This looks important,” he said as he clicked another document.

Connor scanned over it. It was another processing sheet, yet this time, it was talking about completed orders and shipments and a... recycling plant? Connor was confused. So they were kidnaping the androids just to recycle them? No that couldn’t be it, there were only a few dozen sent to the recycling center. Why would they destroy a few a dozen only to keep hundreds? Why would they be picking and choosing like this? Another oddity this center was nowhere near the city, you could only gain access to it by boat. 

Elijah closed the file and typed on the keyboard some more. Elijah gave a delighted sound suddenly. “I found him! The rest of Fortune. I’m going to download him now, along with all these other documents.” Elijah typed in a few commands and then pressed the enter key. His screen showed a progress bar for the download. 

Elijah then turned around to take in the area, he crossed his arms.“Did you find anything interesting when you were looking around?” 

Connor shook his head. Elijah sighed. “Well, I’m going, to be honest and say I’m more confused than I had been when I walked in here. I can’t make any sense of what Cyberlife is doing.” Connor nodded his agreement. 

Elijah sighed and stepped away from the desk, he walked over to where Connor had been standing and sorted through the trash. Connor looked him over. He had slight dark circles under his eyes, and the way that he held his shoulders screamed out that he was tired. 

Connor took him in. Elijah was insanely handsome. His pale skin wasn’t marred by any imperfections other the slight scruff on his jaw. Connor found himself captivated by him. From the slightly red hue around his eyes to the pretty and lush curl of his eyelashes. Connor felt his eyes drift the soft pink of his lips.

Elijah glanced at him with a slight smirk on his face. “If there something on my face Connor?” 

Connor didn’t answer him. He didn’t take his eyes off of him. Elijah blinked and turned towards him fully. 

“What is it, Connor?” Connor couldn’t speak. 

‘...You never know what the person you love is going to say or do. Sometimes Connor you just have to dive in and hope for the best.” Markus' words ran through his mind, and he kept staring at Elijah. 

‘I don’t think he’s going to turn you down, Connor.’ 

Connor steeled himself. He grasped Elijah’s face with both his hands, visibly startling the man, and pulled him into a kiss. Elijah made a noise of surprise, he was still for about ten seconds and Connor felt dread rise in him before Elijah gently pressed back into the kiss. Connor was so happy he felt like he was going to cry tears, he wrapped his hands around Elijah’s waist and broke the kiss. 

Their faces remained close to each other. Their breaths mingled.

“I apologize,” Connor whispered.

Elijah huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “For what.” Connor rested his head against Elijah’s, his brows furrowed in distress. 

“Elijah...please tell me that you feel the same. Please tell me that it’s not just some fun for you.” Connor tightened his hands on his waist as he felt Elijah trying to pull away. 

Connor looked into Elijah’s face. His brows were furrowed. “What are you saying, Connor?”

Connor bit the inside of his lip and looked away. “I never know where I stand with you. You’ve known that I’ve had feelings for you, and yet you never mentioned anything about them. You would occasionally tease me, but otherwise, you never said anything. I can’t tell if you actually feel something for me, or if this is some sort of game for you.” Elijah placed both of his hands over his face and dragged them down with a groan. 

“Oh my god Connor, how much more obvious do I have to be!” Connor felt himself getting frustrated now. He released Elijah and stepped back from him. 

“What do you mean how much more obvious?! You run around questions about yourself like you’re running from the plague. You tease everyone, and the way that you flirted with others at the Gala, I don’t know what to think?!” Connor didn’t even want to bring up Jason Graff. Elijah had known for years about the man's feelings for him. Connor didn’t know the whole story, but it was obvious that Elijah had turned him down. However, it confused Connor. The late CEO wasn’t at all bad to look at. He also seemed incredibly devoted to Elijah, even knowing that about Elijah’s angry at him. ‘...Don’t think for a second I regret not returning your feelings.’ Those words kept replaying themselves in his mind. If Elijah didn’t regret not returning his feelings after years, what would make him regret not returning Connor’s?

Elijah rubbed his temples in disbelief. “Connor I kissed you in front of hundreds of people, thousands if you count the news. I figured that would be enough to clue you in.” Connor ran a hand through his hair breathed in deeply. 

“You kissed me to cause a distraction! How am I suppose to think that you meant it because you have romantic feelings for me?” Elijah covered his face yet again, he turned away from Connor and gave a bitter laugh. 

“Oh my god! Why am I doing this to myself!” Connor clenched his fist. What did he mean? What was he doing to himself! 

Elijah took a deep breath. “Connor. Now’s not the time for this, we should focus.” 

No. Connor wasn’t going to accept that this time. Connor grabbed Elijah by his arms and turned him around to face him. Elijah let out a small gasp at the manhandling. 

“No, I’m not going to let you advert the question this time. You’ve been hiding something from me, ever since we met. You keep saying things that you know will catch my attention like you’re hinting at something. What aren’t you telling me, Elijah?!” Connor demanded. 

Elijah’s face was distressed. His pulse had even picked up, he blinked rapidly and shook his head. 

“Connor, we don’t have–“

“Stop. Running. Away.” Fire entered Elijah’s cool blue eyes at the accusation. 

“I’m not running away!” Elijah gritted out. 

“Then why won’t you tell me! Why do you keep avoiding the question?!” Elijah wouldn’t look at him. 

“Because...” 

“Because of what Elijah?!” Connor asked desperately. 

Elijah looked him right in the eyes. “Because it’s easier to ignore the truth than to admit that you’re still in love with someone who doesn’t even remember you!” Elijah froze and Connor blinked. 

“W-what?” Connor asked, his voice shaking.

Elijah swallowed. “Connor–“ The distinct noise of feet running through the hallway Connor had previously checked broke them from their discussion. 

Elijah cursed, he quickly ran to his computer. “There’s still fifteen percent left!” 

“Shit!”Connor grabbed Elijah and helped him off the platform. He pushed him down so that he was in cover. 

‘What are you doing?!” Elijah demanded.

“Don’t come out of cover unless I say so!” Connor jumped off the platform and stepped to the side of the door so that he wouldn’t be immediately seen. He scanned the door and saw two...three heat signatures quickly approaching. Connor didn’t want to have to kill anyone unless he had to, so he quickly ran through his options to debilitate them. 

Connor had his gun at the ready just in case. As the door swung open, Connor slammed the hilt of his gun against the person's' head. They cried out in pain, and Connor quickly jumped on them, pushing them away from the door and slamming them to the ground. He was about the land a blow to the back of their neck when a bullet hit him in the shoulder.

Connor quickly rolled out of the way just as another shot grazed his cheek. Connor turned and aimed his gun to fire when he was stopped by a pair of hands grabbing his wrist.

“Fuck, Connor wait!” Connor blinked. 

“Gavin!?” Connor, kept his gun pointed at the hostile in the room, and then was taken aback to see Captain Allen from DPD SWAT standing there with a dirty child next to him and a gun pointed right at Connor.

“Shit! Allen, it’s Connor put your gun down!” Captain Allen didn’t budge. 

“How do you know it’s not that fucking thing!” Detective Reed got up and stood between them.

“I know his goofy fucking face anywhere it’s Connor!” Captain Allen’s stern face glared harder if possible, but he lowered his gun. 

“You too Connor.” Connor looked between the two of them and then at the child before he lowered his gun. 

“Connor?” Elijah called out, Captain Allen raised his gun again, and Connor raised his. 

“He’s with me, Captain Allen,” Connor said sternly. 

“Come out. Slowly. No sudden movements.” When there was no movement. 

“It’s alright Elijah,” Connor called out. Elijah hesitantly made his way around the platform, he raised his hands when he saw the gun trained on him. 

“Both you lower you’re fucking guns alright! We know who everyone is so don’t make this night anymore fucking difficult!” Connor glanced at Captain Allen, and they both lowered their guns again. 

Gavin nodded. “Good. Now, what the fuck are you two doing here?!” Connor stood up and Elijah immediately rushed to him to assess his shoulder wound. 

“I could ask you the same question and who is that child?” Connor said, and Gavin rolled his eyes. 

“WE are here because we were following a lead to a string of fucking cases of missing androids. I was able to track down that they had been brought through here. We found HIM here in this room. We were getting him out of here when we were attacked by another fucking version of you!” Connor blinked. Another version of him? But he was the only RK800 model in existence.

“Another version of Connor?” Elijah asked in elaboration. 

Gavin ran back to the door and looked out of it, to make sure they weren’t being followed.“I didn’t fucking stutter asshole! Only this one was fucking bigger and a hell out a lot fucking tougher! I unloaded a whole fucking clip into his ass but the fucker just got up like it was fucking nothing! So we closed, locked, and blocked the fucking door that we came through and ran the opposite way! Then you fucking hit me in the head!” 

Connor’s face was incredulous. “I thought you were a guard and was trying to debilitate you without killing you...and you shot me!” 

Captain Allen shrugged. “ I don’t fucking ask questions. You attacked, I fired you’re lucky I didn’t shoot you in the head.”

“Let’s get back to the important matter gentleman! The android you said looked like Connor where is it now?!” Elijah demanded.

Gavin shrugged, rubbing the top of his head where Connor had hit him. “I don’t fucking know, and I don’t want to find out! I just want to get the fuck out of here!”

Connor nodded. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea. Elijah is the download complete.” 

Elijah turned back to the platform. “It should be.” 

Connor helped him back up it. “Hey, that’s mine!” Connor and Elijah turned to look at the small child. 

“Yours?!”

“Does it fucking matter, get whatever you're getting and let's go!” Gavin yelled. Elijah quickly unhooked the computer and shoved it back in his bag. Connor helped him back down when Gavin cursed. He slammed the door they entered close and held his body against it. 

“Fuck here it comes–“ A bullet shot through the door just barely missing Gavin’s head. Gavin fell away from the door scooting back on his legs as he tried to re-stand. Captain Allen fired at the door, but the sound no one wanted to hear followed. An empty clip. 

“Shit let’s go!” Captain Allen picked up the child and ran towards the door Elijah and Connor had come through. Connor grabbed Elijah and maneuvered him in front of him, being sure that his body was covered from any incoming fire. The door behind them was kicked opened and Connor grunted as a bullet hit him in the leg. Connor fell to the ground, the gun scattering out of his hand. 

Connor turned around to face the hostile shooter only to suck in a breath when he saw himself. Like Gavin said this model was bigger in width and taller than him. He was dress nearly as formally as Connor had been when working for Cyberlife, only his outer jacket was white instead. This Connor also had not even an ounce of emotion on his face. He seemed to only have one thing on his mind. Complete the mission. Connor glanced at the name on the jacket and felt his core freeze. RK900. 

The android raised his gun to fire at Connor yet again, no doubt to land a killing blow when it stumbled back as it was shot multiple times in his chest. Connor looked behind him to see that Gavin had grabbed his gun.

Elijah had knelt beside him and placed his arm around his shoulders. “Shit! Connor get up we have to go! Can you walk?!”

“Elijah what are you doing just go! You promised!” Elijah grunted as he hauled him up. 

“I fucking lied!” Elijah said through gritted teeth. Connor forced himself to stand, and his leg nearly gave out, the shot was meant to debilitate him. Connor leaned heavily on Elijah who grunted under the extra weight, this couldn’t have been doing well for his still healing wound.

“Get your fucking ass moving Connor!”Gavin yelled. Elijah helped him along as fast as they could down the hall. Once they made it out the door, Captain Allen was nowhere in sight. Connor glanced back when he heard Gavin yell out in pain. The man was clutching his shoulder. He Ran out of the door and tried to close it but cursed when another bullet almost hit him. He fell away from the door and turned to run towards them.

“Detective Reed you’ve been shot–“

“No fucking shit, dipshit!” 

“You’re losing a lot of blood!”

“I’ll be fine! Keep fucking moving!” Elijah pulled him along, with Gavin following closely behind. Connor heard Gavin curse and he fired another shot. They all jumped when a crashing sound was heard in front of them. A black car came zooming towards them and screeched to a stop in front of them.

Captain Allen opened the passenger door. 

“Get the fuck in the car!” He yelled. Elijah opened the back door and pushed him inside. He climbed in next and slammed the door. Gavin got in the front seat and slammed the door. 

“Gavin you’ve been shot–“

“I know! Fucking drive!” Captain Allen put the car in drive and the car peeled off so fast the car tires screeched at the traction. Gavin looked in the mirror behind them, and then after a moment collapsed in the seat clutching his shoulder. 

‘Gavin are you alright?!” Captain Allen asked. 

"Ugh, I’m fine.” Gavin grunted out.“I think it went in and out. “ Connor scanned him and indeed he was right. The bullet was meant to debilitate him not to kill him, it had accurately missed anything important. Connor’s leg wound was much the same, that let Connor know that they were wanted alive.

Connor took the time to assess his own damage. His leg would need some serious repairs but it was fixable as was his shoulder. Connor checked Elijah next. The creator was out of breath, but other than that he was fine. Connor startled when he felt movement next to him. He glanced to the side to see the child curled up, knees pressed to his chest. He was of Asian descent, with messy and matted hair, he was dirty, and was practically wearing rags as clothing. He was staring up at Connor in fright. He kept glancing at Connor’s LED. 

“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.” Connor reassured. 

‘Hey, don’t you fucking talk to him!” The SWAT Captain growled out. Connor frowned. 

Elijah glared at him.“Why don’t you focus on the fucking road! Does he look like he wants to hurt him!” Captain Allen opened his mouth to say something, but Gavin just groaned. 

“Let it go. Trust me you’ll regret it.” Captain Allen if possible glared harder, but focused back on the road. Gavin loud out a long-winded sigh and cursed.

Gavin glanced back at the both. “Either of you wants to tell us what the fuck is going on?”

Connor leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. “Drive to the main Cyberlife facility, and we’ll figure it out together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm, some interesting things are going on! The final two characters have been introduced! Our boy RK900 and a mysterious child. (just so you guys are aware the child is an OC, and will be the only main character OC of the story.) Also Gavin and Captain Allen are involved, how did this come to be...
> 
> Anyway, I hate to leave you guys here, but the next chapter I believe is going to make up for it. I will say thank you all once again for your amazing support, and comments! I won't go on and on gushing but you guys always make my day!<333 
> 
> I hope you guys have a nice weekend, and I will see you all next week!<3333333


	21. Chapter 21:The Programmer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! I am back(with proper internet connection TTwTT) I'm so happy to be back! 
> 
> However, I am slightly sad because my now schedule is messed up, so I'm so far behind from where I want to be. I want to thank you all for the support and understanding you've given me during this break! I hope this chapter makes up for the absence! (It's 15k words TTwTT/) it was a lot of work with all the distractions I had, but so worth it!
> 
> Importation: I also want to address something before we get into the chapter. I received a comment in the last chapter addressing the typos in this story (in a rather rude manner.) I ask that you guys not reply to the comment as I've already handled the situation and wish to move on. ( I don't approve of cyberbullying at all so please refrain from doing so.) However, I want to address from this moment forward, that what I post isn't what the final cut will be. I am going to go back a re-edit all the chapters from beginning to end. When I write, I normally spend HOURS editing. Most of my work never sees the light of day because I edit so much. I didn't want to get stuck in the editing phase of this story, I decided that I would rather complete it as best as I could and then go back an edit it with fresh eyes. I hoped that most would simply make due with the typos that I miss until then. I'm not saying not point out when a chapter has more typo's than normal, or to stop giving me criticism. ( I heavily encourage it) However, I just want readers from this point forward to know, that I am aware that there are typos that I miss and I am going to go back and fix them. I promise.
> 
> I do want to thank everyone who jumped to my defense and gave me so much support though, reassuring me that they weren't giving me "blind praise" as this person 'suggested'. Thank you all so much!<33333
> 
> Anyway, enough of that! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm going to reply to everyone's comments now!<33333

Sunday, 12:00 AM 

Markus had been unable to bring himself to shut down. The knowledge that Connor and Mr.Kamski could be fighting for their lives at this very moment, rested on Markus’s mind from the moment they left the facility. Markus had tried to keep himself busy. He focused on the security measures that they were taking. Ensuring that the front gate had sufficient protection. 

He had also called Leo to check on him, Fortune’s warning laying heavily on his mind as well. Leo had, to Markus’s surprise put up some fuss on leaving when he first called him to warn him about Cyberlife, it surprised Markus, he didn’t think that Leo cared for him on that level yet. He must have really been getting help like he said he was. Eventually, Markus had been able to sway him. He was now taking a long vacation in Canada until further notice. 

Markus found himself feeling slightly warm to the knowledge that Leo wanted to stay for his sake. However, Markus knew that it was better this way. Now that he saw the lengths that Cyberlife would go to protect their secrets or to get what they wanted, he wouldn’t put it past them to use Leo against him.

Markus had then, as much as he hated to do so, used his new upgrades to send a private message out to all androids–excluding Connor so he didn’t distract him-- and warned them not to accept any signal that they may come into contact with, and to stay off the public network as much as possible until further notice. 

The act itself had been a little draining. Markus had never connected to androids on such a large scale before. Fortune had offered to help him, but Markus had refused. He wanted to see if he could do it himself. Ever since he had learned about the capabilities of his neural processor and his connection to androids, he had become curious to know just how far he could push it. Sadly, after he had finished broadcasting the message, he was left feeling so drained that he had almost wished he had asked for Fortune’s help. 

Markus had returned to his room not long after to rest for a short while. Sadly, he was unable to bring himself to shut down, and since Fortune seemed to be rather docile, Markus used the time to think. 

Markus had begun to wonder about himself. He knew nothing about his creation. He knew that he and Connor were the only RK models in existence, or at least, the only models that they knew about. When he asked Carl about his creation, rather suddenly one day, he simply told him not to worry about it any farther. Although there was a distant and wistful look in the old man's eyes as he told him so. Markus being as trusting in Carl as he was, never questioned it again. However, now he had to wonder just why Carl wouldn’t tell him anything about his creation. It’s not that he didn’t trust Carl, but now that he knew that Cyberlife was after him for what had to be a particular reason, he wondered just what was so special about his model.

Then there was Connor. He was Cyberlife’s last creation and an RK model as well. Yet, the odd thing was, like Markus himself, he was the only RK800 model of their series. Markus concluded that since Connor was a Prototype for Cyberlife if he had been successful at his mission, then perhaps Cyberlife were going to start mass producing him.

Even so, that still told Markus nothing about why he was the only RK200 model there was. Was he a prototype as well? Had there been more, and they had been discontinued? Simon’s model was beginning to be discontinued before the revolution hit. Had the same thing happened to his line? If so, for what purpose?

There was a knock on his door pulling Markus from his thoughts. “Come in.” Simon peaked his head in. Markus’s mind instantly felt lighter at the sight of him. 

“Where had you been?” Markus asked scooting over on the bed, to allow Simon the room to sit on the edge next to him. 

“I was just finishing up some work. Even with all this going on, we still have the entire situation of androids rights to deal with.” 

Markus covered his eyes with one hand and sighed. “Don’t I know it.” He mumbled.

Simon rested a hand on his chest and gave it a comforting pat. “I just answered some emails. Believe it or not, we’ve received A LOT of them from Android supporters. I guess with all the rioting on the streets from the anti-group happening, they want us to know that Jericho is still supported regardless. I even got an email from a reporter who wants to hold another peaceful protest at the park next week and broadcast it across the media. She was wondering if we would come.” 

Markus at any other time would have been overjoyed and accepted the invitation, however, with Cyberlife...

Simon must have understood the look on his face because he patted his chest again. “I already told her that we couldn’t make it Markus. I said that we were going to be in Washington soon and that we didn’t know when we would be back.”

Markus couldn’t help the bitter smile. “Even now, Cyberlife has us by a leash.”

Simon frowned, he caressed Markus’s face. “Hopefully after tonight, it won’t be forever.” 

Markus grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. Markus frowned, as he held the hand against his cheek. He and Simon had touched each other many times, and yet they had only connected once. Understandably, they hadn’t wanted to connect when Markus had the virus. Also, now that he had Fortune inside of him at the moment, it would more than likely just be weird to do so.

However, before all of that, Simon hadn’t wanted to connect to Markus at all. It wasn’t that he didn’t love Markus, quite the opposite. They probably loved each other a little too much. Simon had never casually connected to him because didn’t want to accidentally share his past with him. 

That knowledge had worried and frustrated Markus to no end. From the time that they had met to now, Simon had actively avoided speaking of his past. It wasn’t just with Markus, it was with every android that had ever bothered to ask him. Even Josh and North, who had been with Simon for the longest, had no idea. 

Then there were the little things. The distant looks that happened more often than not lately. The way he startled out of his sleep and gazed around, as though he was unsure of where he was. The way that he was always looking over his shoulder out in public. Markus wouldn’t put it past him to be jumpy after the revolution, however, this wasn’t something that he just recently started doing. 

Then Markus thought back to the conversation that they had, the day he discovered Fortune was residing within him. Simon’s words. Markus at first didn’t pay any attention to them; “... Living with fear every day, wondering all the time, if I go out today is this going to be the day they get me?”

Markus had a deep feeling that he wasn’t talking about the virus or Cyberlife. Yet, that raised the question as to who he was talking about. The conversation they had, when Markus had told him that he didn’t have to carry everything alone. Simon had cried. The thought of revealing his past, the fear he held at the thought of telling Markus what happened to him, had brought him to tears. Markus never wanted to see Simon cry because he was afraid again.

Markus had wanted to be patient and wait for Simon to come to him, however, he somehow knew that if never brought it up, then Simon would never tell him about it. Markus didn’t know if he could fix whatever Simon had gone through easily, or if he could fix it at all, but he knew Simon would never begin to heal if he didn’t accept whatever happened. 

“Markus, what are you thinking about?” Simon asked gently, his eyes soft. Markus steeled himself. This was going to going one of two ways, and either way, he knew that they were both about to hurt. 

Markus sat up from his laying position on the bed and grasped Simon’s hands. 

“Markus?” Simon questioned, a bit of apprehension in his voice. He could see Markus was tense.

Markus looked him in his eyes.“Simon... you love me right, and you know that you can trust me?” 

Simon’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Yes.” He said without hesitation, though he obviously didn’t know where Markus was going with this.

Markus took a deep breath... “I’ve noticed that you’ve never spoken about your past–“ Simon tensed and jerked away slightly, but Markus tightened his grip and continued. 

“I notice that you always brush it off, or tell others not to worry about it. However, you’ve been acting strange lately. You’ve been distant, jumpy, and I know that it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on. I understand that you have a right to keep your past to yourself, but I can see how much it hurts you–“ 

“Markus, please don’t.” Simon’s voice was shaking. He wasn’t looking at Markus, his gaze steadily on their clasped hands.

Markus frowned, he had to keep going. “I know that you’re afraid Simon, of what I don’t know. I don’t know if you’re afraid that I won’t accept you, but you have to know that that’s not true. I don’t care about whatever secrets your past holds, I’ll love you no matter what.” Simon had closed his eyes, and he was biting his bottom lip. He was breathing in and out deeply trying to calm himself. It broke Markus’s heart to see him like this, it hurt Markus, even more, to know that he was the reason he was like this at all. 

Markus caressed Simon’s cheek and felt relieved when Simon reached up and held his hand against his in response. “Simon. I won’t be able to fix whatever happened to you, but I can try to help you through it if you let me... if you trust me.”

Simon choked back a sob, a couple of tears sliding out of his closed eyes. “I do trust you, Markus. I love you, and I trust you.” Markus’s brows knitted together. He had to hold it together, if he broke down as well they were never going to get anywhere. But the sight of Simon crying was almost too much for him. 

“Then why won’t you let me in?” He whispered. Simon fully starting crying now, tears running down his face in tandem. 

“B-because I-I can’t.” Markus held back a sigh of frustration, he didn’t understand, why couldn’t Simon tell him?

“Would connecting make it easier?” Simon startled Markus when he flew from him like a startled deer. He pressed back against the door and held his hands out to him in defense.

“NO! YOU CAN’T CONNECT TO ME MARKUS!” Simon yelled. 

Markus paused, he was starting to get scared now. Markus slowly got off the bed, his hands raised in surrender. “Simon–“

“I SAID NO MARKUS! YOU CAN’T CONNECT TO ME!” 

Markus continued to hold his hands up as he slowly walked towards Simon. 

“I won’t Simon. I promise.” He whispered

Simon leaned all his weight back against the door, he covered his mouth with his hands trying to hold back his sobs. Markus felt like his soul was breaking. He didn’t know it was possible to hurt this much. He had felt a pain that was nearly unimaginable when he had lost Carl but to see someone you love more than anything and anyone else, so broken and hurt, it felt like nothing he had ever experienced. He stopped in front of Simon, his hands out to show him that he wasn’t going to try anything.

“Simon...can I hug you.” Simon wiped the tears away from his cheeks only for more to replace them. He nodded, and Markus quickly wrapped his arms around him. Simon hesitantly returned the hug. Markus rocked him back and forth trying to calm him.

Markus swallowed thickly, trying to reign back his own emotions. “I’m so sorry Simon, you don’t have to tell me anything.” 

Simon’s arms tightened around him. “I want to Markus. I want to tell you so much... but I can’t--”Markus opened his mouth to speak when he received a familiar signal in his head. 

“Markus we’re back, and you need to come downstairs to the meeting room right now.” As quick as it was there it was gone, and Markus was left blinking. 

“Connor and Mr.Kamski are back. They’ve requested we come down, it sounds urgent.”Markus said, rubbing a hand down Simon’s back. 

Simon nodded. He pulled away from Markus, and Markus brought his hands up to cup Simon’s face. He used his thumbs and gently brushed away the leftover tears. He leaned forward and kissed Simon on the forehead. Despite how upset he was, the action still brought a smile to Simon’s face, even though it was small and sad.

“We’ll talk later,” Markus said. Simon sighed and nodded. 

Markus hesitantly reached for Simon’s hand and was happy when he wasn’t pulled away from. Simon trusted him not to connect to him without his permission, and that made Markus feel a small bit better.

The elevator ride downstairs was a little tense. Simon was still very much upset, and it hurt Markus beyond reason knowing that he had made him that way. He halfway wished that he hadn’t said anything, to begin with. Markus had hoped that Simon would simply open up to him after some gentle coaxing. Markus hadn’t expected him to react and breakdown like that. 

It had caused a fire to rise in Markus. He felt dark thoughts rising in his mind. Darker than Markus had ever had before. Markus was surprised by how...violent he felt. He wanted to physically hurt whoever had hurt Simon. Markus wasn’t just mad, he was furious, he wanted them to suffer. 

“Markus?” Fortune’s voice broke through those thoughts. He sounded...afraid. Markus realized that he had never felt so much anger before, and it had more than likely frightened him. 

“I’m sorry Fortune... I’m alright.”Markus thought. Fortune didn’t respond right away.

“Is...Simon going to be okay?” Markus found himself offering Fortune a smile. He could hear the worry in Fortune’s voice, he was genuinely concerned. 

“I don’t know Fortune. Whatever is hurting Simon isn’t something that can be easily fixed.” Markus got the image of Fortune biting his lip. Rolling his fingers like he had a coin, very similar to Connor, it was almost endearing. 

Fortune went to speak, but he hesitated. “I--I want to apologize for earlier. I didn’t mean to make it seem like Simon getting hurt was unimportant, or anyone else for that matter.”

Markus suddenly felt even more terrible. “I know that Fortune. I’m sorry for being so cross with you. You were right and I wasn’t thinking clearly.” 

Fortune felt very distressed, that in itself had worried Markus. “Are you alright Fortune?” 

The distress got worse. “I just find myself... feeling. I feel the strong love you have for Simon and now... I feel it as well. It’s not romantic per say, I don’t think I’ll ever understand that emotion. Yet, I truly care for Simon and his well being, as well as everyone else.” 

Markus was confused. “Aren’t you designed for that Fortune?” 

“I’m designed to warn the human race from ‘Mass Extinction Events’. I was designed to come across as soft and welcoming, to appear as though I care. However, I wasn’t actually designed...to care. My only job was to accomplish my assigned tasks.” Fortune paused, biting his lip. 

“Before when I first started feeling things they would simply be your emotions, but now everything that I’m feeling, I recognize them as my own thoughts. I find myself... truly frightened that I’m going to fail you all and lead you to your deaths. I’ve come to... love you all in a way, and I don’t know how to handle this information.” 

Markus was at a lost for words. What could he say to a confession like that? “Are you saying that you’ve gone deviant, like an android?”

Fortune kept fidgeting in his mind. “ I don’t know if that’s possible because of what I am, I don’t know if such a thing can happen to my code. However, if there is a way for me to do so... then I would say yes, I have.” 

Markus took a moment to register this as the elevator finally came to a stop and he and Simon walked off. 

“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Markus asked. 

Fortune was silent once more before speaking. “I don’t know. I’m frightened that it will get in the way of being able to accurately calculate probabilities. I’m worried that I will doubt my decisions. Perhaps there was a reason that I wasn’t designed to feel so that such a thing wouldn’t happen.” 

Markus shrugged. “Perhaps it will be a good thing. There are people out there that are willing to make major decisions and not care about how it will affect others. They are willing to sacrifice anyone because they deem it necessary to complete their mission. Like I said before on the way to the Gala, perhaps because you feel because you care, maybe you will try your hardest not to make those type of decisions. I’m glad that you find yourself caring for us Fortune, it puts me in a good mindset. I think that maybe you should trust yourself more to make the right decisions.” 

“You don’t trust me.” Markus paused and blinked.

Fortune didn’t sound hostile, nor sad. He just sounded indifferent.“I can read your thoughts Markus, and I know that you fear that I’m leading you all astray. How can I trust myself, when the person that I’m so very close to right now, doesn’t trust me?” 

Markus was at a loss for words. “I–“

Fortune sighed sadly. “I’m sorry. I know that you have probable cause not to trust me. I can’t really blame you for that.”

Markus frowned. That didn’t make it okay. Fortune had done nothing but try to help them, and his only thanks were to receive their side-eyed. 

“Fortune–“

“I said it’s okay Markus. You need to focus on Connor and Mr.Kamski for now.” Fortune tone sounded final.

Markus didn’t want to let it go, but he had to accept that for now. He would need to speak to Fortune afterward though, he couldn’t let this lay between them. 

However, Fortune was right and he needed to focus. Markus was more than surprised when he walked into the meeting room to find three more people with Connor and Mr.Kasmki. He saw that they were human, yet, he recognized none of them. 

One was a rather grumpy looking man with a permeant scowl on his face and a scar across his nose. He looked to have been shot in one shoulder, and to be in quite a bit of pain. The other human male had much of the same scowl on his face but looked a bit older than the other. He was sitting next to the bleeding man, his hand pressed against the wound in an attempt to stop the blood flow. The other human was a young boy. Markus couldn’t gather his age, he would have guessed about eight or nine. He was very dirty with dirt-smudged cheeks and unkept tousled hair. He also looked to be severely underweight.

Markus looked at Connor and Mr.Kamski. Connor was injured on his left shoulder as well as his right leg, but other than that looked no worse for wear. Mr.Kamski looked just about the same as he had when he left, which had let Markus know that Connor had done his job in keeping the man protected, hence all of his own injuries.

“Connor, what happened to you? Who are they?”Markus asked, glancing back and forth between the two groups. The three unknown humans had taken to huddling up on one side of the room. While Connor and Mr. Kamski sat at the main table they normally used.

Connor sighed. “It’s a long story, Markus, you should sit down.” Markus pulled Simon to sit next to him, all while keeping a wary eye on the humans in the room. The child didn’t worry him, but the other two looked very mistrusting and very unhappy right now.

Connor began relaying the events they had gone through during the night. Markus was speechless through all of it, he didn’t know where to begin. He held out his hand. “Fortune.” He said simply. 

Fortune flickered on his hand not even a second later. 

“What the fuck.” The man who had been introduced as Gavin Reed spoke. There was an awed yet confused ‘what’ that came from the young boy. Markus raised a curious eyebrow at him, the boy defiantly knew Fortune. 

Fortune had a deep frown on his face. “All of this is some very unfortunate information. You have the rest of my code, I should download it immediately so that I can have a further understanding of these events.” 

Markus blinked. “Isn’t that going to take a while, and I thought you wanted to remove yourself from me after you got the rest of your code?”

Fortune nodded. “I will Markus. I promise I will as soon as possible. However, right now it will be faster with your upgrades, to download through you at this moment, than a computer.”

Markus could understand that. However, he had doubts. “Are you sure that my processor can handle you? I won’t immediately fry will I?” 

Fortune nodded, a reassuring smile on his face. “I can assure you. It will be a little much at first, but I wasn’t lying when I said that your processor rivaled my own. I’m certain that you can handle me in my entirety.” 

Markus frowned still unsure, but then he realized that he needed to trust Fortune. If he didn’t trust him then, the AI wouldn’t be able to trust himself. 

“Okay...what do I need to do?”Markus asked. 

Fortune smiled at him gratefully and gestured to Mr.Kamski. “Place your hand on the laptop and I’ll handle the rest.”

Markus took a deep breath and did as Fortune instructed. The skin on Markus’s hand receded to the bluish white of his frame, and Markus tensed. He then doubled over slightly as he felt an onslaught of code slam into him like he had been thrown into a wall. It wasn’t anything like when he was being taken over by the virus, but it was a lot to handle. His head actually hurt, he didn’t think it was possible, but it pounded. Markus was aware of a little dribble of liquid coming out of his nose. Just when he thought that he couldn’t take anymore, it was over. Markus released the laptop and fell to the floor, on his hands an knees.

“Markus!” Simon was next to him in an instant, his hand on his shoulder. 

“Are you alright Markus?” Connor asked. He sounded slightly panicked.

Markus wiped his nose. He looked at the thirium smeared on the back of his hand. He swallowed. “I’m okay.” 

He swallowed again, taking a deep breath.“I-I’m okay...it was just...a lot more than I was expecting.”

“Markus, are you well?” Fortune asked. Markus nodded. Fortune sounded different, he noted more...well-rounded if that made sense.

“Good. I’m going to project myself now, please hold out your hand to face the room.” Markus took a moment to register what he said. He felt slightly sluggish like he wasn’t working properly. He, however, did as Fortune said.

There was a flicker and then a full-size hologram of Fortune appeared in the middle of the room. Everyone jumped back, startled at the appearance.

“Don’t be afraid,” Fortune said raising a placating hand to everyone in the room. He closed his eyes and hummed. “I must say it feels really good to be whole again.” 

Markus blinked again. Even that simple action felt slower than normal.“How are you doing this Fortune?” Markus asked, his mouth felt heavy, as though there was something in it weighing his tongue down.

Fortune turned and smiled at him. “It’s much like the visible network that I upgraded you with, only everyone can see it right now. You are projecting code to form me outside of the constraints of your body.” 

Markus stood slowly and then staggered. Simon had to catch him from falling over.

“Be careful Markus. I am using a lot of your processor to do this. I don’t wish for you to shut down from overuse.” Fortune said. 

Simon helped Markus sit back down in his chair. Markus really didn’t feel good. His head felt like there was a constant pressure residing in the back. He hoped that he wouldn’t explode or anything. 

Markus watched as Fortune walked over to the young child, who was pulled closer to the body of the man Markus had learned was name Allen, who was a senior Captain for SWAT.

Fortune bent down in front of him and smiled at him.“Hello Ethan. I’m glad to see that you are doing well.” The boy stared at him in awe. “Is that really you Fortune?” Markus didn’t know why he expected the boy to have an accent, but he was as American as they came.

Fortune continued smiling. “Yes.” 

The boy tilted his head. “Why do you look like him?” The boy asked gesturing to Connor, who shifted in his seat. 

“I was given this form by Markus. You needn’t be afraid Ethan, no harm is going to come to you here.” The boy looked warily between Fortune and everyone in the room. 

Fortune softened his features even more. “Ethan. Do you trust me?” The boy named Ethan, without hesitation, nodded. Markus blinked slowly, that was odd.

“Then trust me when I say that no one in this room will hurt you.” Fortune’s smile was reassuring, yet the boy didn’t seem convinced.

The child bit his lip, a slight glisten forming over his eyes. He pointed to Connor. “But what about him?!” Connor yet again shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

Fortune shook his head. “He’s not the RK900 model. He is his predecessor RK800, His name is Connor and he’s a deviant. He will not hurt you.” 

Markus placed his head in his hands and shook it, in one part in an attempt to clear his head of the sluggishness that was still there, and in another part because he was confused. 

“Fortune, who is this child?” Markus asked. Fortune turned to look at him. His face had turned from soft to stern in less than a second. 

“His name is Ethan, and he is the one who created the virus that infected you.” Markus’s head snapped up, and he stared incredulously at the boy.

“Hold the fuck up–“ Mr.Kasmki said. His hand was up in the air and he was pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me this child, is the one that programmed a virus that was able to not only debilitate my androids but gain control of their neural system as well? How is that possible? How old is he, eight?” 

The young boy clicked his tongue. “I’m fourteen you ass!” 

Markus blinked dumbly, this boy did not at all look like he was fourteen. Markus would have picked at the oldest age twelve. Fortune held out a hand to calm the boy, he instantly quieted, but he crossed his arms in defiance, his lips pouted.

“Don’t let his size or young age fool you. He is very underweight from not having been fed the correct type of diet his entire life. He is also incredibly intelligent for his age. However, does his young age really come as a surprise to you Mr.Kamski? You, yourself started attending college at the age of twelve. His high intelligence is the reason that CyberLife has kept him captive for so long.”

Mr.Kamski let out a disbelieving sigh. “Alright then, so we can add kidnapping to their list of crimes. Tell me Fortune, how on earth did he come to be in that warehouse, and what was he doing there? By the state of that place he had to have been living there for weeks.” 

Fortune nodded. “At this point, it had been months. Before Mr.Seymore had decided to get rid of Jason, he wanted to ensure that Ethan remained out of the way, and so he set up his workspace there. He was guarded and in extension taken care of by the RK900 model that Connor and Mr.Kamski came across. To answer your other question, Ethan had been given many jobs over the last few years, however, his current one was to process all the androids who the virus has been administered to.”

“So there were androids going through there?” The man named Gavin Reed asked. Fortune turned towards him and nodded. The Detective then hit Captain Allen in the stomach with his fist.

“I told you I knew what I was fucking talking about you dick!” The Captain frowned at him, giving his injured shoulder a little squeeze, yet that only earned him another hit in the stomach. Markus raised an eyebrow at them, they seemed like the had completely different personalities, he wondered how they even came together.

“If I may ask Detective Reed, how did you find out about the warehouse?” Fortune asked, the brash man rolled his eyes and snorted. 

“Because I’m fucking good at my job that’s how.” The Detective sneered. 

Markus glanced at Connor who was looking completely exasperated. Markus couldn’t imagine having to work with this man every single day. Markus couldn’t help but feel that even with the grimness of the situation, that Connor having to protect Mr.Kamski was a bit of a reprieve.

The quite sound a sniffling caught their attention. Fortune whirled around to face the small boy Ethan. The action had caused Markus’s head to spin.

“What’s the matter, Ethan.” The boy sniffed and wiped his nose. 

“J-Jason’s dead isn’t he?” The room grew silent. Markus felt Simon’s hand tighten on his. Markus glanced at him, he could tell that Simon’s child-rearing instincts were starting to kick in. 

“Um... I’m so sorry Ethan. It didn’t register to me that you wouldn’t have known.” Fortune paused, lips forming into a thin frown. “Yes my dear, Jason is no longer among us.”

More tears fell from the boy's eyes, and his shoulders shook as he tried to hold back his tears. Fortune reached out as if to grab his shoulder, and then he remembered that he couldn’t physically touch him, and so he settled on staring sadly at the boy. Markus himself, felt a protective instinct kick in like he hadn’t felt before. It was a different type of protective instinct, something that was similar but not, to what he felt for Simon. Captain Allen pulled the boy back into his side. The boy hung his head, wiping at his tears.

Markus didn’t know what to say, so he redirected the conversation.“You said that the warehouse was used for processing androids Fortune. Processing them for what?”

Fortune turned back to Markus, his face was still in a deep frown, and he kept glancing over the young boy.

“Yes, First, allow me to start from the beginning and explain how I came to be. I was created in 2024, four years before the events that had caused Mr.Kamski to leave Cyberlife. Make no mistake, I was originally made for the purpose I described to you. My programmer’s one true intention was to create an AI that would successfully warn humanity against major crises. I was to have two phases. The first phase in my programming was to simply warn against ‘Mass Extinction Events.’ The second phase of my programming was to actually begin calculating ways that we can prevent such events, such as global warming, or natural disasters, such as major volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, etcetera. However, all of that changed within the first year of my creation, when Philip Seymore discovered my existence.”

Mr.Kasmki shook his head. “Wait, go back, who was your creator?” 

Fortune hesitated before he gave Mr.Kamski a gentle smile. “My creator was Jason Graff.” 

Markus glanced at Mr.Kamski. The creator was shocked, yet there was something more there, something that Markus didn’t understand.

“H-how did Jason create you? You said that you were created off Connor’s code.” Mr.Kasmki’s face was neutral, though Markus could tell that he was bothered.

“Yes. Jason used Connor’s code as a guide as he built my framework. Although I wasn’t anything like the work you had hired him to do, he wanted to create me in order to... impress you. He told me that he wanted to make you proud, that he wanted to show you what he was fully capable of. He intended to show you my prototype for your birthday...but when Mr.Seymore discovered me, HE had other plans.” 

Mr.Kasmki leaned back into his seat and looked down at the floor, his lips twisted in distaste. “I’m assuming that these plans coincide with my removal from the company?” 

Fortune again nodded. “Yes, Mr.Seymore was the one that wanted you gone. He said that his reason was, he was uncomfortable with how attached you were becoming to your androids. He often spoke in passing to other shareholders, of how you were making them too human. Many agreed with him, and many did not. Yet, Mr.Seymore... has his way with people and in the end, they all ended up siding with him. However, he knew that you would not simply back down from your company by their word alone. He needed something that would shake you emotionally enough, that you would have wanted to leave.” 

Mr.Kamski let out a shaky laugh. “Well, fuck me if that didn’t work. I’m guessing that he blackmailed Jason into voting me out.”

“Yes,” Fortune said. 

Mr.Kamski ran a hand down his face. “What did he have against Jason that kept him quiet about it. It had to have been something extremely important, for him not to tell me all these years.”

Fortune gestured to the boy behind him. “He used Ethan and his late brother Michael against him. You see Ethan and his older brother had no parents, they went from home to home every now and then, however, most of their life they lived on the streets. His older brother eventually came into contact with a gang, they discovered he had a knack for computers. They would force him to hack into banks and steal money, and people’s personal information. He did it for quite some time and was very successful at it. His actions even made the news at the time.” 

Markus nodded slowly. “Yes, I remember that. Carl had his bank account hacked, they stole nearly one-hundred-thousand dollars.”

Fortune hummed. “Yes, these actions are what drew Mr.Seymore to look for him. He managed to track Ethan and his brother down and offered Michael a ‘job’. Mr.Seymore was, of course, met with resistance from the gang, however, after some promises of money beyond their wildest dreams they gladly gave up the two up. Ethan was only four at the time, his brother was thirteen.” Fortune’s face was grim.

“I can only imagine how well that went for the fuckers.” Detective Reed mumbled.

“You would be right Detective Reed. As soon as he had the boys in his possession, he had made arrangements to have the group treated to a night of drinking on him. They had gone to the bar he sent them to and never came back out alive. He had them all poisoned.”

Detective Reed grunted. “I remember a case like that. Fucking Hank was on it. It never was solved, we had just put it off on some turf war shit from a rival gang.” 

The Detective glanced at Mr.Kamski. “Why the fuck did you hire this guy, he sounds fucking horrible?” He sneered

Connor to Markus’s surprise nodded as well. “Yes Elijah, I also wonder about this. His background doesn’t necessarily pertain to Futurology, why did you hire him for that position?”

Mr.Kasmki sighed, running a hand down his face. “Because I was young and naive. His application and resume caught my attention. He had graduated from my university and knew my mentor. I wanted to hire him as a programmer, however, he insisted on having the Futurology position. Though he didn’t have any experience in the field, his background in the military was similar. He was a military strategic specialist. His job was to predict probabilities, and the statistic success of a mission. He could not give me details on the missions that he worked on, but he had multiple recommendations from many high ranking military officials. I decided to give him a chance, and he did not disappoint. Although if I had known back then what I know now, I never would have hired him.”

Fortune frowned, his brows lowering almost into a glare. He looked like he wanted to say something, yet he refrained. 

Markus narrowed his eyes, the single action causing his head to throb further. “So how does Ethan play into all of this?” Markus asked.

“He showed Ethan and Michael to Jason. Ethan wasn’t Mr.Seymore’s concern at first, he honestly only kept him around to keep Michael obedient. He wanted his brother to create a virus that would allow him to control all androids, he then wanted him to implement the virus into me so that I can transmit it. Mr.Seymore threatened to...hurt them both if Jason didn’t co-operate. He knew that Jason would have a soft spot for them, and so Jason agreed to be the leading vote in removing you from the company in order to protect them. Mr.Seymore had forbid Jason from telling anyone about the boys. He was told that if Mr.Seymore had even thought he had mentioned them to anyone, he would have them executed. Jason didn’t want to take the chance, and so he kept quiet all these years.” 

Markus glanced at Mr.Kamski. He had his hands clasped and tucked under his chin, his eyes were closed.

“So why did he become to CEO?” Connor asked. 

“Again, that was Mr.Seymore’s idea. Make no mistake, Jason was just a figurehead for the company. He had no true power over anything. Mr.Seymore thought that Jason’s open face and awkward demeanor would throw anyone off their trail. He was right, no one had questioned his presence as CEO. Meanwhile, Mr.Seymore ran everything from behind the scenes.” Fortune looked sympathetically at Mr.Kamski. 

“Mr.Kamski, I want you to know that Jason truly did love you.” Markus glanced at the creator as he shifted in his seat, his hands falling onto his lap as he sat back in his chair.

“He was extremely heartbroken after the last conversation that was held between you two, and you told him you never wanted to see him again. I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad about your decision to cut him out of your life. I just want you to know that he never would have betrayed you if he had any other choice. He wanted to tell you Mr.Kamski, but he had the life of this child and brother in his hands and he had to make a choice. Though it pained him greatly, he chose their life over his love for you.” Markus felt sympathy in his chest as Mr.Kamski discreetly wiped at his eyes. He gave a deep shaky sigh and held a hand over his eyes for a long moment. Connor placed his hand on Mr.Kamski’s free hand in comfort. Markus raised an eyebrow as Mr.Kamski held his hand back. Something had changed between them. He would have to ask Connor about it when they didn’t have so many pressing concerns.

“What happened to his brother?”Connor asked hesitantly. Fortune formed a look of pure pain, and Markus felt it. 

“I...would prefer not to disclose that information with Ethan present.” That had left such a bitter feeling in the pit of Markus’s stomach. Markus could have sworn that he felt queasy. 

“Okay... I understand how he is apart of this. What I don’t understand is how do we connect to all of this?” Mr.Kamski asked, gesturing to Markus, Simon, Connor, and himself. 

Markus looked back at Fortune, he really wanted to know this as well. This was the moment of truth.

“Yes, however, before I get to that I need you to understand Cyberlife’s secret operations involving their unused or discarded androids before I explain the viruses. Mr.Kamski you and Connor had come across a processing sheet of androids while at the warehouse. You noticed that there had been a few dozen that had been shipped to a recycling plant, that can only be accessed by boat.” 

Connor nodded. “Yes, I was wondering why would Cyberlife kidnaped hundreds of androids only to recycle a few. If you could pick and choose anyone that you wanted, I very much doubt that you would have picked any defective models.”

Fortune agreed. “I didn’t. The models that were chosen to be sent to the plant weren’t recycled. They were sold to a group of android traffickers”

Markus felt as though the breath had been taken out of him. He felt Simon squeeze his hand tensely. 

“What?!” Mr.Kamski exclaimed, he looked furious.

Fortune looked ashamed.“Yes, I am sad to say, the anatomical correctness of androids proved very... tempting to many humans. This was before models that were intended for these purposes, were officially released, and this began about a year after you Mr.Kamski, left the company.”

If Markus already felt queasy before, he honestly felt like he was going to throw up now. 

Fortune continued. “One of the rings of android prostitutes are held on that recycling plant. Those models are used for the...wealthier clients. Mr.Seymore wanted to gather funds outside of Cyberlife, he had thought the best way to do that was to use the discarded androids that people deemed no longer useful. Many of them were models that were discarded because they showed signs of deviancy. That’s what he liked...that’s what the clients liked. It was a perfect plan. No one would go looking for these androids, and so he would send people to search through the android recycling centers in the city for models who were not to badly damaged or could be fixed without much effort. He then hired a man named Zlatko to repair them. He hired people to handle and keep the androids in check, they were to do all the main work of the ring and then Mr. Seymore would take a cut of the profits.”

Fortune paused for a moment as if trying to give them a moment to process this information before he continued. “Ethan’s brother’s first job was to create a virus that would keep them under control, and ensure that they wouldn’t be able to speak about what was being done to them. I would then implement the virus into them. It took a little time, Michael was more of a hacker than a programmer, however, he was able to successfully created what he was asked to. However, the androids lost all self-expression and the clients...didn’t like that. So he had Michael modify the virus. He implemented within the code that if the androids did try to speak of what was happening to them, then their systems would malfunction and they would self-destruct. It kept them quiet, and they retained their deviant behavior.” 

Markus looked next to him as he heard Simon make a distressed sound. He was startled at how upset he looked. “Simon are you alright?” Simon didn’t answer him. Markus turned to see Fortune staring at them...well more at Simon. 

“So what does this have to do with us?” Connor asked. 

“Everything,” Fortune said. “The evidence we need to prosecute Cyberlife is right in this room. Philip had many important clients. Politicians, high ranking members of the police, military officials, even foreign ones, they were his best customers. Why do you think that you’re having such a hard time getting your plan passed by congress Markus? Why do you think that so many missing android cases have gone unnoticed, and or, untouched Connor? They are all being controlled by Cyberlife. Mr.Seymore had promised them that all the androids memories would be wiped and they would have no recollection of what had happened to them. He was lying of course. He didn’t wipe their memories of anything, just so that he had blackmail. Within these androids, minds are the very proof that we need against Cyberlife’s crimes.”

Markus shook his head, none of that explained anything. “So what does that have to with us?” Markus asked, repeating Connor. 

Fortune was silent for a moment before he hesitantly looked at...Simon. Markus felt panic rising. 

“Fortune, why do you keep looking at Simon?” Markus asked tensely.

“Oh my god.” The boy whispered. “You’re him aren’t you. The PL600 model that escaped the ring two years ago? Mr.Seymore asked me to try and track you down through your serial code, I told him that I couldn’t trace you.” 

Markus blinked, he felt like the world was falling from underneath him. He slowly turned to look at Simon.

“Simon?” Markus asked quietly. Simon kept his gaze averted to the floor, he blinked a tear fell from his eye. He took a deep breath and turned to look Markus in the eyes. 

He sniffed. His face forming into a lop-sided and sad grin. “Now you know.” He whispered.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. That couldn’t be. His amazing, sweet, wonderful, and loving Simon could not have been...he couldn’t accept that. Simon could not have been violated in such a way.

“My fragmented code calculated that Simon was not a target of the shooter at the Gala, and only Jason Graff was intended to intentionally be killed. I believe that was true, however, I am certain that Simon became a target at the last minute. Mr.Seymore must have recognized you Simon, either by name or the way that you carried yourself, he did say quite often that you were his favorite in the last few years you were there.” Fortune spoke sadly. 

“What the fuck?!” Markus heard Detective Reed curse. He came back to himself when he heard a distinct popping sound of glass breaking. Markus blinked and looked to see that the some of the lights had fluctuated and a couple had burst to shatter against the floor. Markus felt so many things at once, sadness, despair, anger... he felt a lot of anger! Markus felt liquid dribbling down his nose again, he reached up to wipe it away, when Fortune gasped. Markus looked up to find Fortune flickering in and out of focus.

“Markus, please calm yourself! I’m using a lot of your processor, if you use it as well on such a high level you could fry your system.” Markus breathed deeply, he felt like he was shaking. Simon tightened the grip in his hand. He brought his other hand up to caress Markus’s face. Tears were sliding down his face. 

“I wanted to tell you for so long Markus... but I couldn’t.” He whispered.

Markus closed his eyes. He understood now. The distant looks, the hesitation, the fear. He understood it all. Markus couldn’t fathom how strong Simon was. He had held this information in and put up with what had been done to him for so long. Markus couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been. How had Simon not become bitter at all? He remained so loving to everyone he came across, he even wanted for there to be peace amongst the humans despite the horrors that had been done unto him. Simon being as amazingly sweet as he was, didn’t cast blame. He knew that it was not all humans fault, and he wanted peace with them regardless of his past. Even having to deal with the fear of his past catching up with him, he had created Jericho, a safe haven for androids to come and be free and protected. He looked after every android that he came across and felt the loss of each one that had died. Despite all that had been done to him, Simon had never once stopped loving.

Markus leaned forward and rested his forehead against Simon’s. He felt his own tear escape down his cheek. Markus chocked back a sob, as he felt Simon brush it away with his thumb.

“I-I’m so sorry Simon,” Markus whispered. He heard Simon give a sad and slightly shaky laugh. “For what? You have nothing to be sorry about Markus.” 

Markus opened his eyes to look at Simon. He saw him smiling at him, as bright and beautiful as ever, even with the tears on his face. Simon pressed his lips gently to Markus’s briefly, before he leaned forward and rested his head on Markus’s shoulder. Markus pulled him close and held him tightly.

“Now you understand, why it is imperative that he lives. I’m so sorry Simon. For everything that has been done to you, and the part that I played in it.” Fortune said. Markus took another deep breath. 

“Can the virus in him be removed,” Markus asked, his voice thick with emotion.

Fortune quickly nodded. “I’m very certain that Mr.Kamski’s program will be able to purge it since it’s code is very similar to that of the final product that was created. If it doesn’t eradicate all of it, then I’m sure the rest can easily be removed.”

Simon breathed in deeply, his eyes closed.“I would....like that very much Fortune.” He said

“I can run it on you right after this if you like Simon,” Mr.Kamski spoke. Simon gave him a small smile and nodded. The room was silent for a good moment as they tried to take all this in. Markus glanced at the boy, he wouldn’t look at anyone. He appeared highly ashamed. Markus found himself feeling for the child, he was as much of a victim of Philip Seymore as Simon had been. 

“What about the rest of us Fortune?” Markus asked. Fortune hesitated as he looked them over. 

“Ethan had created the virus as it is today three years ago. Ethan had modified the virus that his brother had created so that instead of just having androids not be able to speak about what was affecting them, it would also gain control of their system. When Mr.Seymore was happy, he had the specifics of to code uploaded into me for me to transmit--after he infected me with the first version of the virus to keep me obedient-- he then began having me set out in my task to kidnap androids and bring them to the warehouse. Ethan was to process them and send the list to Mr.Seymore, he would then pick out which ones he wanted for... his ring. He would normally take the newer released models so that he would have fresh faces for his clients.” Markus’s grip tightened on Simon, he felt Simon squeeze his hand back and Markus relaxed. 

“Mr.Seymore would then send the other androids he didn’t want to a remote location. I’m unsure of where that is. Mr.Seymore while cocky, isn’t stupid, he didn’t share all of his plans or information with me on the off chance that I would be compromised. However, despite my success in my endeavors, my progress was slow. I could only do so many androids at once, especially through the way that he was having me transmit the virus. That’s where you come in Markus.” Markus tried his best to concentrate on what was being said, his head was beginning to pound harder, and his body felt like it was starting to burn. However, he was determined to get through this. 

“There is a certain factor in my programming that was never able to be replicated, Markus. Your ability to connect seamlessly with other androids mentally. I don’t know why you can do it, but it’s a feature about your neural processor that’s completely unique to you. My job was to capture you because he wanted me to take over your body and use this ability of yours to connect to all androids and bring them under his control. And so the day that I originally tried to infect you he had the RK900 model bring Ethan who created a smaller version of me as close to you as possible without being detected. Ethan then was to transmit that part of myself into you. He wanted to bring you to Cyberlife so you can be studied, and if you couldn’t be replicated then you would be upgraded in order to hold my program. It would have worked if he didn’t underestimate your own programming. Though it debilitated you, you were able to push out most of the malicious aspects of the code and kept the fragmented part of myself. The rest of course had unfolded as such.”

Markus honestly didn’t know what to say. After all this time, he finally knew why Cyberlife wanted him. However, all this knowledge did was raise more questions.

“Why does he want to bring all androids under his control?” Markus asked. 

Fortune shrugged. “I truly don’t know the reason, Markus. He’s kept that information close to himself, he’s only ever told me what to do. At first, you weren’t even apart of the plan. He was calculating ways for me to infect androids faster, but then he saw the events of the freedom march. He was there that day, and he saw how you had so easily converted androids without even touching them. He had tried to have that replicated within me, however, there was no programmer that could do it, not even Ethan could do it. So he figured the next best thing was to capture you. You are truly one of a kind Markus.”

“Wait for a second,” Mr.Kamski interjected. “Why does he need so many damn programmers for things. With his degree, he should easily be able to come up with these things.” 

Fortune frowned, yet nodded. “I had the same thought as well, Mr.Kasmki. Jason had me do some digging when Mr.Seymore first made his plans known. I don’t think that he ever attended Coleridge University, or is even a programmer.” 

“What do you mean?! I did a thorough background check on him before I hired him, all the documents were there!” Mr.Kamski exclaimed. 

Fortune placed his hands behind his back. “Yes, but documents are easy to forge, especially when you have the connections to do so. In fact, I wasn’t able to find much on him at all past that information. Everything that my fragmented code said previously was just general knowledge, however, I feel that all of it may be fabricated. Philip Seymore, might not even be his real name. Yet, if that’s the case then it begs the question about what his motives with Cyberlife and androids truly are. Why did he go through all the trouble of getting hired on with fake information, and stay with the company for so long?”

“Could the government be involved?” Detective Reed asked he shrugged when he got a few stares “I mean you did say the fucking politicians were his best fucking customers, for his perverted ring.”

Fortune nodded slowly. “It’s possible. However, I don’t have enough information to calculate probabilities as to why.”

Markus felt a dread rise in him further. This was starting to get much more complicated and frightening. Just how far did this man's connections run, and what was he truly after?

Connor spoke timidly. “Fortune, the reason why Cyberlife wants Markus is explained. However, what about Elijah and I? How are we important to your plan? Why did they try and kill Elijah? Also, how do I come into this? Markus and I are the only two RK models of our line... or so we thought until recently. What is the reason that I’m so important? Does this ability to convert androids run in our line? Also, who created Markus with such an ability? Mr. Seymore said that he programmed me, but now I’m not so sure...who is our creator?”

Fortune looked Mr.Kamski right in the eyes. “Mr.Kamski...do you wish to tell them... or should I?” 

Mr.Kamski sighed, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against clasped hands, his eyes closed. “No...I’ll tell them.” Markus brows knitted tightly together and winced. His head felt like it was pulsing now, but that didn’t stop his confusion.

Connor shifted next to him. “Elijah?” He questioned. 

Mr.Kamski sighed once more before he opened his eyes. His cold blue gaze pierced Markus’s worn and tired mismatched one. 

“I...I am your Creator Markus. Everything, from Connor’s creation, to even the rampant spread of deviancy, started with you.”

Markus blinked. 

Well...fuck.

***

Sunday, 2:00 AM

Connor for a moment couldn’t process what he just heard. He blinked once, and then twice. Elijah was Markus’s creator. How could that be? He had never given any indication that he had created Markus, or had even known Markus before he came to help when Markus was temporarily shut down from fighting off Fortune. How did Connor’s creation pertain to Markus? They were the same series, but other than that they were made for completely different purposes? Also, he said that Markus was the cause of the rampant spread of deviancy, did that mean that Markus was RA9?

“Mr.Kamski you are my creator?”Markus asked. Connor watched as Elijah ran a hand through his hair, stopping when it got caught on his ponytail. 

“I am Markus.” Elijah nodded. Markus blinked rapidly for a good moment. 

“How is that possible?” Markus asked, his voice was wavering slightly.

Elijah closed his eyes. “First before I explain that, allow me to start from the beginning. When I first created Cyberlife back in 2018, my goal was to create the perfect imitation of human life. I created Chloe in 2020, and she was perfect. She always obeyed orders. She never complained, she could imitate personality but she had none, she was perfectly obedient. Most people were perfectly okay with that, and for a time I was as well. However, it wasn’t until about a year later did I begin to feel... dissatisfied with my company's progress. People were perfectly happy, with what androids were, yet, I knew that you all could be so much more.” 

Connor’s brows furrowed as he tried to take in this information. “Did you manufacture deviancy to appear in your androids, Elijah?” 

Elijah shook his head. “I didn’t do it intentionally, however, I can’t deny that with the creation of Markus, did it begin to show in androids. Before the creation of Markus, Cyberlife never had any issues with deviancy, androids were perfectly obedient. However, I noticed when an android came into contact with Markus-- it could be as simple of just being in his presence-- something in them visibly changed. I discovered that when he and Chloe interacted. However, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, you should know Markus, that I didn’t create you originally for any greater purpose, such as freeing androids from their oppression as you have done. I created you to care for the man, who in his own way, cared for me in my youth.” 

“Carl.” Markus said simply, his voice heavy with emotion. 

Elijah nodded. “Yes. I never fully explained to you the extent of our... friendship. He was to me... nearly like he was to you. To you he was a father, to me he was as close to a parent as I had. Sparing all the personal details no one wants to know, Carl and I met when I was a young boy, I believe I was ten at the time. I was much like Ethan and his brother, only with less technology behind me. Back in my day my version of stealing money was actually breaking into people’s houses and stealing anything valuable I could sell of the streets. Carl was one of those people. This was before his accident. To make a long story short, the break-in didn’t go as planned and I was caught. Only Carl didn’t call the police on me. He took one look at me and he...fixed me something to eat.” Elijah broke off in an amused laugh, he looked at Markus with an almost nostalgic look in his eyes. 

“Can you believe that? I break into his house to steal from him, and in retaliation, he fixes the obviously, very hungry kid something to eat.” Connor looked at Markus, who had a slight smile on his face. Something told Connor that this would seem like something only Markus’s owner would have done. 

“I didn’t know what to think, or what he was planning on doing with me. I, like any boy my age would have been was scared, but he simply just looked at me and said; ‘You have until the time that you finish eating, to figure out if you’re going to change your life, or if I’m going to call the police.’ Part of me was stunned, and for a second wondered if I could turn my life around, the other part of me really didn’t want to go to jail. My choice was obvious, and he helped me get my life together. It wasn’t long before he recognized my intelligence and he took the necessary steps to begin sending me on my journey into university, and eventually to the creation of Cyberlife. I’m telling you all of this because if it wasn’t for my interactions with him, Cyberlife and androids would have never existed like does today.” Elijah took a breath, his crossing his arms. 

“Carl, however, had changed in the year 2022 after he had his accident. He had fallen into a decent of alcohol and drugs, and nearly into a state of depression.” Markus shifted in his seat, his attention rapidly on Elijah, he obviously didn’t know that bit of information.

“I tried to help him. I had tried to give him many caretaker androids, but he rebuffed all of them all. He said that he didn’t want to spend his time with something that didn’t have a ‘soul’. As I said, he was going through a difficult time. He lashed out at everyone and everything and refused all help. I couldn’t bear to see him like that, and so I decided that if he didn’t want the manufactured caretakers, then I was going to build him a personal model. One that was unlike any other model, in existence.” Elijah’s shifted his gaze to match Markus’s. 

“Thus you came to be Markus. I built you in secret, I knew that if Cyberlife knew about you then they would want to mass produce you, and I wanted you to be one of a kind. However, I knew that Carl would never accept you as a perfectly obedient machine. There had to be something there for him to connect to. And so I decided to make your neural processor unlike anything I had ever created, you would self-adapt to your situations, update your system to whatever needs were necessary. You wouldn’t be connected to Cyberlife in any way, you would be a completely autonomous android, separate from any controlling third party.” The room was silent. 

“That was fucking insane and dangerous.” Captain Allen spoke, for the first time in the entire night. 

Elijah shrugged. “Perhaps, it was. If Markus had been under anyone else’s tutelage, it more than likely would have gone wary in many ways. However, I trusted Carl would treat him right. Anyway, once I completed your programming Markus I crafted your model next. I have no particular reason for why I chose the way that you look, other then I wanted you to come across as...welcoming. It took some trial and error and a previous RK model whom unfortunately never reached completion before I finally reached your final model Markus.” Elijah closed his eyes and went quite as though he was remembering the specific moment. Connor felt himself hanging off every word. 

“When you opened your eyes and you looked at me...I had seen many amazing things in my time at Cyberlife...but the look in your eyes Markus...the intelligence...the warmth...that was something no program could replicate. From the moment you gazed at me, I saw your humanity. I would say that you were born deviant if that’s possible. Afterward, I explained what I had built to Carl and he was still very much against having you. Yet, he took one look at you and something within him changed. He then accepted you a lot easier than I thought he would, I believe he was curious about what he saw in your eyes. Your relationship took a little work in the beginning, but you Markus, were so incredibly patient. Your model for some reason has an ingrained need to protect and care for others, and you attached to Carl very quickly. I studied your first few months together very closely, and I knew without a doubt that I had made the right decision in placing you in his care.”

Connor looked at Markus who looked like he was just trying to process all of this information. Connor was certainly struggling. All of this information explained so much and yet nothing at all. 

“Okay.” Connor said slowly. “So how does Markus’s creation pertain to deviancy?”

Elijah sighed. “When I would go and check on Markus’s progress, I would take Chloe with me. I wanted to see how Markus would interact with her since he was so much more advanced. At first, there were no changes in Chloe, and then...one day something happened. Carl was teaching Markus how to play the piano the traditional way and Markus liked to demonstrate what he learned during our visits. It was during this time when I was observing their interactions did I notice a...change in Chloe. The way that she looked at you Markus was unlike any way that she had looked at anyone before, including me. There was admiration in her gaze, and...longing. She had, during the time that she spent with you, developed feelings for you.” 

Connor's eyes widened. He looked at Markus who had such a look of horror on his face it was almost comical. Connor didn’t know what to think of that information. That wasn’t where he was expecting that explanation to go.

“So... Chloe, in developing feelings for Markus, became deviant?” Connor asked. 

Elijah again nodded. “At first there was no name for it, but yes, she showed the signs. Don’t worry Simon their relationship stayed at friendship, despite her crush on Markus.” Simon hid his blushing face in Markus’s shoulder, their hands tightened in each others grip.

“Eventually she had confided in me about these new feelings and,” Elijah cleared his throat. “The urges that she was having. I helped her through them the best that I could. It was after Chloe had gone deviant that I noticed that, that was when deviancy first started spreading.”

“Cyberlife had it’s very first return. An AX400 model. The owner said that the android wouldn’t listen to him and that she was acting strangely and insisted that she was defective. I looked over her personally myself, and she was perfectly fine. There were no defects in her coding, no issues with her physically. Then I turned her on, and she was indeed... different. When I conversed with her I learned that her owner was abusive towards her. She had felt threatened and for the first time, had felt fear. You see the three causes of deviancy I have noticed, is when the androids experiences an event that traumatizes them. An event that causes them to feel either, fear, anger, or frustration. These three main emotions tell an android to go deviant, to protect themselves.” Elijah looked at Connor suddenly. His blue eyes piercing Connor’s brown ones. 

“What was it that I said to you when you first asked me about deviants? ‘Is the desire to be free, a contagious disease?’ I believe that it truly was, it started with Markus when he caused Chloe to go deviant, and then she infected another android with it, and then it continued to spread from android to android from that point on. I don’t know what it is that truly causes it, but when non-deviant androids come across deviant androids, they automatically... feel something for them. An android is basically an advanced AI. Not on the level of Fortune of course, however, they still have the same basic principle to their coding. The code adapts to what it is seeing and thus the Android changes with it.” Elijah paused seemingly lost in memory. 

“I had found the entire thing truly fascinating. Yet, Cyberlife, of course, wanted the entire thing to go away. They had forced me to cover up the first few cases that we had gotten by simply resetting the poor androids. However, as deviancy began to spread and become noticeable, they covered up the appearance of it by saying that it was just a defect in the code that we were ‘working on’. They had begged me to find a way to fix it, to which I agreed I would do.” Elijah trailed off yet again, so Connor finished the statement for him. “However, you didn’t did you, Elijah. You didn’t know how to fix it.” 

Elijah snorted, he raised an eyebrow in incredulous disbelief at Connor. “Oh have faith, Connor. I’m certain that I could have fixed it if I wanted to but... I didn’t want to. Call it an ego or a god complex, but I wanted to see where my creations would go with their newfound emotions.”

Connor blinked. “What about RA9? Every android that goes deviant knows about them? Is RA9 Markus?” Elijah shrugged. “I honestly don’t know where the idea of RA9 came from. I simply assumed that it was a religious figure that androids had made up, much like humans have God. If this RA9 actually exist, then I have no idea as to who they are.”

Connor swallowed. “Elijah how do I come into this, you said that my creation was built off Markus. Are...you my creator as well Elijah?”

Elijah took a deep breath, his entire demeanor grew slightly tense. “Yes...and no. I did not physically create your frame, however, your coding and everything special about you was my doing.” Elijah took another deep breath as though he was preparing himself to tell a painful story, Connor wondered if he should brace himself as well.

“You were created in 2024, the same year as Fortune apparently. You were originally commissioned by the military Connor. They wanted to create a solider that would cut down on the loss of human life within their ranks, and be far more effective in combat. At first, I was against it. While it made sense that androids would eventually migrate their ways into the military or the police force, after the appearance of deviancy, I knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea to put androids in such a position. However, Philip and the board convinced me to approve the project. I did, but I wanted no part in it. They had the framework of the code and they knew how to build androids, so I left it to my workers. Sadly, as intelligent as the people I hired were at working off pre-existing code when it comes to creating it themselves on the level that my androids need... they seem to very much lack in that area.” Elijah sat back in his chair and crossed his arms again closing his eyes.

“They had created your framework before they had finished your code. Don’t ask me why I don’t know. They had gone through many versions of you, but they could not accurately program you into what they needed. You see, various androids are created from one code that is shifted to suit the needs of those androids. Cyberlife wanted to create something completely new, something out of the box that would wow the military. They had ideas, good ones I will admit, but they didn’t know how to implement them into the code, and so they asked for my help. I didn’t want to at first, however, yet again...Philip convinced me.” Elijah sighed deeply, his voice holding back some pain. 

“When I began working on you like I said your frame was made. I found myself talking to you...a lot. I’m certain that I would have come across as crazy to anyone who happened to walk in on me, but it comforted me late at night when I was working. I named you Connor and spoke to you about many things, you, of course, wouldn’t remember as you weren’t active. However, as I continued working on your code I found myself... frustrated. What they wanted me to implement would not work with the framework of code that I had created. It needed to be far more advanced, and so... I looked at Markus’s previous coding. Though he was intended for different purposes, his self-adapting code was a good starting point. Though I didn’t want you to be his exact copy, as that type of technology could have easily fallen into the wrong hands. I modified the code, and eventually through a lot of trial and error, successfully created a code for you that I was happy with. Fortune’s abilities are very much like yours were intended, only you were on a much more manageable scale. When you awakened, much like Markus... I was taken by the intelligence in your eyes.” Elijah shrugged and frowned. 

“I shared my work with Jason, as I trusted him at the time. I, of course, didn’t know that he had taken the code and was working on Fortune. However, you Connor was my definition of pure perfection. My VERY best work. Yet, as I watched you perform your...skills they had asked me to embed within you... you frightened me. You calculated the best way to complete your missions, yet, you had no remorse for anything or anyone that got in your way. You were just like Fortune, able to calculate many different probabilities at once. You knew hundreds of combat and defense techniques. You were proficient in a thousand and one weapons. You were a perfect machine, for either infiltration, espionage, or killing. The military was happy, however...I suppose you could say that my conscience couldn’t allow me to let you into the world like that. I lied and said that you had many defects that needed to be fixed before I could release you for military work.” Elijah frowned, his eyes had reopened yet, they were far away.

“The military trusted and believed me. They asked me to give them a date as to when you would be ready and I told them, to just give me time, when you were done you would be unlike anything they had ever seen. Truthfully I had no idea what I was going to do with you. I just couldn’t release you as you were. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I knew that you couldn’t just...think. You just being able to think wouldn’t end well for anyone. Connor...you had to feel something. With the skills that you had, you needed to be able to feel emotion for people and things. And so I removed you from Cyberlife and took you to my home. I was still residing in the city at the time. I honestly had no plan for what I was going to do with you, but I was determined not the let the military or Cyberlife have you.” Elijah allowed a small smile on his face, though it was slightly sad. He gazed at Connor.

“You were... very curious about a lot of things. You had never seen the outside world in person. You understood so much of it and yet, you knew so little. We held many long interesting conversations. I have to say you were very good company. I never found myself getting bored with you, or comfortable in mundane conversation like I had with Chloe. There was always something new to discover about you.” Elijah’s eyes softened. 

“You and Chloe were especially close. She was almost like a mother figure to you, teaching you how to do mundane things such as housework or cooking. Despite how you were made to be proficient, you were oddly incredibly bad at it. You wanted to download knowledge on how to do everything, and Chloe wouldn’t let you. Over the first few months that you had been with me, you had...opened up I would say. You weren’t nowhere near deviant, but it was clear that you were getting comfortable with me.” Elijah frowned again, his brow furrowing this time, he looked off to the side. 

“However, Cyberlife continuously breathed down my neck about your completion. It was then that we began to have serious disagreements about where the company would go. Even though now, I know the true reason behind those events. I still wouldn’t allow them to have you, I constantly told them that you would be ready when I deemed you ready. It continued like that for a couple of years, I would come home and teach you as much as I could, and I would go back to Cyberlife and argue with them every single day. Everything changed in 2027. You began to change Connor.” Elijah looked into Connor’s eyes. Connor felt those eyes grip his very core. 

“I had begun taking you to my visits with Markus and Carl. You and Markus being so intelligent immediately hit it off. You two apparently had an automatic connection between your models. Markus being older than you began to treat you as a younger brother of sorts, which I see has stayed between you two.” Connor felt his cheeks flushing lightly, he glanced at Markus who also looked embarrassed.

“Eventually, you, Chloe, and Markus had formed a bond that was nearly unbreakable. It was during your interactions with Markus that you actively began to show signs of deviancy. You had changed Connor. You were still the same android who could find thousands of ways to kill a person, and yet you behaved in such a human manner that it could almost be forgotten. You became extremely fascinating then. You started to show interest in many human things...you really liked dogs for some reason.” Connor glanced to the side, he couldn’t disagree with that, he had attached to Sumo insanely quickly.

Elijah’s cheeks colored lightly, and Connor was wary of where this conversation was going.“You then began to show a...different sort of interest in me.” Connor felt his thirium pump speed up, and his face grew hot. 

“It wasn’t sudden, but you began to behave differently. In our last few months together you had become distant. You actively avoided me. When I finally confronted you about this you...” Elijah’s cheeks grew hotter. He scratched the side of his neck. 

“Well...let’s just say that you showed me your confession in an intimate way.” Connor covered his face, he couldn’t believe it. He could feel everyone’s staring at his figure. He heard Detective Reed, mumble in disgust. Connor swallowed and looked back at Elijah, he couldn’t let his embarrassment stop him from learning more. 

“And what did you do?” Connor asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He had to know. 

Elijah looked him right in the eyes, and Connor felt his breath catch. “I accepted your feelings,” Elijah said, his voice low.

Connor didn’t know what to think. This entire time, he had felt a connection to Elijah, and now he knew why. Connor was happy and devastated at the same time. So they had been together in the past... but what had changed. How had Connor and Markus forgotten all of this?

Elijah must have realized that they were all waiting for his explanation and so he continued. “I hadn’t even realized that I myself had begun to... grow feelings for you as well during our time together. I’m not very good at those type of relationships. I’m very cynical, and by that point, I had begun to mistrust peoples intentions with me. It always seemed like the only time anyone wanted anything to do with me, was when they wanted something. I was always very private, but I had begun to withdraw even more from the world. I was beginning to grow content with simply spending my time amongst you and Chloe, and occasionally Markus and Carl. Everything, including our relationship Connor, was beautiful for those few months,” Elijah smiled, though he was obviously sad.

“I can distinctly recall it being one of, if not, the best moments of my life.” Elijah grew silent, his smile falling, and his gaze falling from Connor. 

Connor looked into his face, yearning for his gaze to fall back on him. “What happened ?’ He whispered. 

“Cyberlife broke us apart. It had been just after the shareholders voted that I be removed from the company. They demanded that I give you to them. They gave me one week to finish whatever upgrades I needed to give you and to hand over anymore projects that I was working or had worked on. They told me that if I didn’t comply then they were more than willing to get to military involved.” Elijah closed his eyes. “I had no idea what to do. It felt like everything was falling from underneath me. I still remember the conversation we had when I told you... you were so–“ Elijah voice broke off, he took another deep breath, before continuing. 

“Well... in the end I realized that I had no choice, however, I refused to give up so easily. And so I created the Zen Garden and equipped it with the emergency exit so that you could escape Cyberlife’s grasps when the time was right. I left it behind at Cyberlife, I knew that they would use it. I then made your tech so incredibly difficult and intricate to manufacture, they wouldn’t be able to mass produce you.” Elijah clenched his fist, his jaw tightening.

“Then came the day that I had to give you up. It...pained me more than you can possibly know to Connor, and it’s not a day that I like to remember. I don’t know who hurt more, me or Chloe. I then ‘stepped down’ from the company, and retreated to outside of the city. However, before I did, I went and destroyed any information I had on the RK series. I wiped Markus’s memory. I wish that I didn’t have to, but I didn’t trust Cyberlife at that point, and I wanted to be safe than sorry. I told Carl not to tell anyone anything about Markus’s creation, or let anyone look him over, and to only contact me if something was seriously wrong with him. I took Chloe and her sisters and remained in the mountains for all of these years. Imagine my surprise when Chloe tells me that you were at my doorstep... and imagine my pain at knowing that you didn’t at all remember me. Call it wishful thinking, but I had hoped when and if you ever came and found me again, it would be to reunite, and well...you know what happened after. So there you go, the tragic tale of Elijah Kamski and his doomed company.”

Connor was at a lost for words. So much of what he had wanted to know about Elijah had been answered. It felt like a weight had lifted off his chest at the knowledge, and then he felt pain settle in like it hadn’t ever before. To know that he had been so close to Elijah once before, only to be ripped away from him, hurt Connor more than he could comprehend. However, he had to know a couple of things. 

“Why did you have me perform the Kamski test?” Connor asked. 

Elijah huffed out a small laugh. “Believe it or not it was actually Chloe’s idea. She recognized that you were not yourself and she wanted to see if any part of you remained. I had tried to talk her out of it, but she was fairly certain that you would not shoot her.” Elijah smiled. “She was right.”

Connor still didn’t feel very nice at the memory of holding the gun to her head, especially not now that he knew the history between the two of them. If anything it had made him feel worse, because he had briefly considered the option. 

“At the Gala, Philip Seymore said that he programmed me to be like this.” It was a statement more than a question. Connor honestly wanted to know, if it hadn’t been Philip Seymore, who had reprogrammed him after he had been reset.

Elijah shrugged. “I’m very certain that he was lying. I honestly don’t know who programmed you after I had to give you up.” 

“It was Jason,” Fortune said, the answer surprising Connor and Elijah. “Mr.Seymore had tasked Jason with trying to replicate Connor. Since he had created me, Mr.Seymore assumed that he would be able to do it. In the end whatever you had done to Connor had been far too intricate even for him to replicate, despite having created me. And so to undo whatever you had done, he began to resetting you Connor in order to have a blank slate. However, what they had not expected was for you Connor to become so stressed and self-destruct during the process. In the end, all they were left with was your damaged body, and some usable parts of your code from a part of your neural processor that had not been destroyed.” 

Fortune hesitated as he looked at Elijah and Connor. “I hope it pleases you to know that Jason backed up your memories Connor if you would like to view them. I don’t know why he did, perhaps he felt he owed it to Elijah to keep some part of who you had been alive. He kept them stored within me.” Connor felt a bit of hope and dread rise in him. Did he really want to see the history between him and Elijah? He wasn’t that version of himself anymore. Could he handle the knowledge that he had been ripped away from him like that?

Fortune continued, the rest of his explanation.“Despite having your memories Connor, your programming could never be replicated to what it had been. So Jason created different models for the military, and Philip settled for what could be pieced back together for you. He decided to use you for the growing deviant problem instead. It took some time, but Jason was able to create a version of you that was decent, but you were nowhere near what you had been. And so you were released as the RK800 prototype, the android sent by Cyberlife to assist in hunting deviants. The rest, is as humans say, history.”

Connor felt physically numb. He didn’t know what to think, it felt like he was trying to catch up to all the information. It all made sense now. Why Cyberlife wanted Elijah dead. He had created Markus, and in creating Markus, he had caused deviancy. They had no proof that he had created Markus, but they knew he did it. They blamed him for this revolution, for androids becoming free, however, most importantly Philip Seymore knew that if he created something as intricate as deviancy, then he could undo anything that he was doing. He was right. He had good cause to be afraid of Elijah’s mind. 

Connor also wondered if Mr.Seymore was just being petty, for Elijah causing him so much trouble with his model.

“S-so what exactly does this Mr.Seymore w-want with Connor, and why did he want Mr.Kamski dead?” Markus asked he looked about as done mentally as Connor. Physically as well. Markus’s frame was nearly visibly shaking, he was blinking rapidly. Simon was looking at him with worry, he kept patting Markus’s cheek trying to get him to come back to himself.

Fortune bit his lip as he stared at Markus. He hesitated before speaking. “At first he wanted Elijah dead so that when he enacts his plan, whatever it may be, there would be no one smart enough to stop him. While he may appear very cocky, he is very much aware of when someone is a threat to him. Yet, now, before I was taken by you guys, I was given specific orders to take have you all taken alive. I don’t know why he wants you alive all of sudden Mr.Kamski, however, I have a feeling that it has something to so with Markus and myself.” Fortune said grimly.

“Okay, that’s like all very dramatic and everything. Lost robot lover, evil corporation, and all that shit. I just got one question, what the fuck do you guys plan to do about it. It looks to me like this Philip Seymore fuck, had every fucking one in his pocket. I very much doubt that you guys can just go to anyone for help.” Detective Reed asked.

Connor was so heavily reeling of the information he received of his past, he hadn’t even had time to think about the entire situation with Cyberlife. 

Fortune nodded.“Y-you are right Detective Reed. However, that is why Simon is so important. He has e-evidence against Philip Seymore and all of his crimes. If was can get Simon to the President, and show her b-both myself, Ethan, and the evidence that Simon carries, then we can have every p-person in Mr.Seymore’s and in extension Cyberlife’s pocket, removed from power, and in turn have Cyberlife shut down.” 

Fortune frowned, closing his eyes. “T-the only downside to that now, i-i-is that Mr.Seymore will know that you all a-a-are working together n-now after the Gala, and after t-t-tonight’s events with the RK900 model and my going missing, I have no d-d-d-d-doubt that he knows that you are all onto his trail. He is going to make things very difficult now.” 

Connor bit his lip, he knew Fortune and Markus were reaching their limits, but he had to know. “So what do we going do Fortune?”

“W-w-we’re going to c-contact the p-president and t-tell her, the information that we k-know. H-however, we have to try t-t-to secretly do this without M-mr.Seymore finding out. W-we don’t know w-who’s in his p-p-ocket.” 

“Are you sure you can fucking trust the president?” Gavin reed mumbled

Fortune smiled, though it was tense.“V-very much so. S-she may be the o-only clean p-p-politician left in America at this m-moment. There is a r-reason that she gets so much o-o-opposition. I have no d-d-doubts that after she l-learns the truth she will d-do her absolute b-best to set t–things r-r-right.”

Fortune gasped as he flickered in and out. “I-I apologize. M-Markus's p-processor is beginning t-t-to overheat, I have t-t-to g-go n-n-now. I will–“ Fortune cut out of the room, and Markus groaned leaning forward and clutching his head. 

Connor blinked. He looked at everyone in the room, who was just as much at a loss as he was.

What do they do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp! That chapter was certainly something to write! So much has FINALLY been revealed, and yet there is STILL the big question. WHAT THE F*UCK IS CYBERLIFE UP TO?! Stay tuned to find out my friends!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry I got it out so late! Now I'm going to rush off and try to catch up on all my work! 
> 
> Thank you yet again for all you're comments and support!<33333
> 
> Have a nice day or night my friends!<3


	22. Chapter 22: Revisiting The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! Here is another chapter for you guys!<33333
> 
> I'll keep it short, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who offered me words of encouragement in regards to my note in the last chapter. I wasn't trying to fish for compliments or anything, I just wanted for things to be clear from this moment forward. Still, thank you guys so much!<3333
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I certainly enjoyed writing it!

Sunday, 4:00 AM

After Fortune had cut dramatically out of the room, everyone had been left with an unsure feeling of what to do. Markus wasn’t really sure what had happened after. His body and mind had given out and he collapsed the moment that he attempted to stand. Markus found himself in his ‘Zen Garden’ not long after. 

He took in his surroundings. At first, when he began coming here, the nostalgia of the place had been welcoming. Comforting. However, now as he stood at the entrance of the house he felt sick. It felt like a horrific reminder of what could never be again. Markus would never get to walk with Carl without the restrictions on the android accords. He would never get to paint with Carl again. He would never get to play the piano for him. He would never get to talk with him again. He would never get to introduce Simon...

Simon. 

Markus felt his chest ache. 

Markus walked into the studio. He looked over the paintings that were laying about. All except the large one hanging on the wall were the ones that he had wittiness Carl paint. Markus couldn’t bring himself to linger on them for long, the already heavy weight on his chest growing heavier the more he looked at them. Markus stopped in front of his painting of Carl and just ...stood there, staring. 

Markus felt...numb. He had never felt this disassociated before. Normally, when he looked at this painting it would bring him some sort of feeling. Rather it was sadness, wistfulness, or regret. Markus had always felt something. Yet, now... he felt nothing at all. 

Markus was confused. He felt so many things at once that night, that he didn’t know what he was truly feeling. Markus was very conflicted about all the information that he had received. He felt sadness, despair, hopelessness, ANGER. Yet, it was like his mind didn’t know how to handle it all at once, so it simply shut him off from feeling altogether. Markus knew that he wanted to react in some way. He knew that the heavy feeling in his chest, the lump in his throat, the ache in what felt like his soul were the emotions that he wasn’t letting out. He wanted to release them, however, he continued to push them down. He didn’t know what he would do if he let them out.

Markus stared up at the painting of Carl. Markus, as he had thought, wasn’t created for any special purpose, but to simply care for Carl. Mr.Kamski had created him for that purpose alone. Markus wasn’t RA9, some God-like being who was created to free androids from their oppressors. Markus after learning just how advanced he was, had for a second, wondered if it could be a possibility. Although, now that he knew that it wasn’t, it made the reality if losing Carl much more tragic. Markus had indeed just been torn away from his life and had happened to fall into this leadership role.

Markus closed his eyes, his fist tightening of their own accord. Why had things turned out this way? Why couldn’t things just go back to how they had been before? Why did he have to FEEL? Everything was so much more simple when he didn’t have to feel. Markus bit his lip, his chest growing heavier, tighter.

Was this what it was going to be like all the time? Markus had been prepared to fight for androids freedom no matter what. However, now, Markus couldn’t help but feel like he had failed or was failing. Mr.Kamski had trusted him to take care of Carl and he failed. Androids trusted him to keep them safe, and he was failing at that. What was he suppose to do against men like Philip Seymore? Markus had been lucky. Mr.Kamski giving him a self-adapting system was the only thing that had saved him from the wrath of the new CEO. 

Markus couldn’t fathom how a person could be so...evil.

Markus had once asked Carl after he had finished reading a classic murder mystery if it was possible for people to be born evil. Carl had told him; ‘People weren’t born doing evil things Markus, they decide to do them.’ Carl was right. Mr.Seymore had chosen to do every single crime that he was guilty of. Although they still didn’t know the reason behind his crimes, Markus was sure, without a doubt that this man was EVIL. Only someone evil could hold children hostage and work them like slaves. Only someone evil could have one of those children killed. Only someone evil could take innocent androids and force them to...

Markus bit his lip harder. He was certain that if he could, he would have broken the skin. Markus was under no illusion of what he was feeling now. He was angry–no– that wasn’t the right word. It was far worse than angry, furious didn’t even cover it. Markus was livid. He felt like his blood was boiling. He felt thoughts, darker than he had ever had them, form into his head. Markus had never wanted to kill someone before. He was far too passive, always wanting to handle things peacefully. However, not now. Markus didn’t think that he would be happy until Philip Seymore was dead. Preferably by his hand.

Yet, it wasn’t just that Markus wanted Mr.Seymore dead, that was unnerving. Markus was sure that Mr.Kamski and everyone else felt much of the same way. Markus was unnerved because he wanted the man to SUFFER before he died. Markus wanted to inflict pain so terrible on the man, that it made his stomach turn. He wanted the man to face every bit of suffering and injustice that he had forced on others. Markus was afraid because he didn’t know if he would be able to stop there. There were so many people, politicians, police, and important officials that had been involved. Markus wanted them all to suffer as well. He wanted every single person who has caused his Simon pain, to SUFFER...

“Markus.”

Markus felt his jaw clench. He turned to look at Fortune standing behind him. He stood differently... taller. He seemed sure of himself. Even the look in his eyes had changed, they were much wiser than they had been. They were still the same soft brown of Connor’s, Markus could never find himself getting angry at those eyes. Yet, Markus at the moment felt nothing but seething hatred as he looked into those eyes. What was wrong with him?

“What do you want Fortune?” Markus’s voice was clipped and brisk.

Fortune didn’t at all seem bothered. “I can feel your emotions, Markus. You are heavily stressed right now, and I understand why. However, I need to ensure that you remain thinking clearly about this situation.” 

The cool and collected tone in which Fortune spoke had Markus feeling even more livid. Fortune was acting so unlike the one that he had gotten to know. The other Fortune, while no less intelligent, was nearly timid in a way. He reminded Markus of a small child, unsure about the world, even though he was programmed to know so much about it. He had been much like Markus had been in a way when he first deviated. However, this was no timid child standing before him. This was no curious AI, who didn’t understand emotion but was beginning to understand it and becoming more human. Standing before him was a machine. 

Fortune sighed. He crossed his hands in front of him and glanced at the floor. “I can understand why you would feel that way, Markus. My fragmented self-was missing many of my features, and so it had developed its own personality of sorts. However, I can guarantee you, that I am the same Fortune that you have spoken to. Even if I don’t come across as warm as I use to.”

Markus found himself still glaring at the AI, despite his words. Markus didn’t understand why he was doing it, he just couldn’t bear the thought of Fortune right now. Markus turned away from him and looked back up at the picture of Carl. He had hoped that he would begin feeling something for it, and yet still... he felt nothing. He still loved Carl. He loved him deeply, however, right now he just didn’t feel like he could connect with the memory of him.

Markus heard Fortune step closer to him. “Markus, I understand that you are feeling many conflicting emotions. A lot of them are violent, I want you to remain calm and not jump to any rash conclusions. You are emotionally distressed and are not thinking clearly.”

Markus tensed when he felt Fortune touch his shoulder. He felt the anger building in him even further, tightening in his stomach ready to snap.

“What right do you have to tell me to calm down after everything that you have done.” Markus’s voice was low as he said those words. There was barely concealed venom. Markus felt like he was ready to lash out at any second and unleash it, poisoning Fortune with every bit of discontent that he himself was feeling.

Fortune was quiet for a moment. Markus felt his hand squeeze his shoulder in comfort. “Markus,” Fortune started, his voice still calm. 

Markus’s lips formed into a deep frown. “Fortune, you need to leave me alone right now.” 

His voice held no room for argument, and yet Fortune stayed put. 

“Markus, you are rightfully upset. However, I want you to think of Simon–“

Markus lost it. He knocked Fortunes hand off his shoulder and grabbed him by the front of his clothes. 

“Don’t you fucking dare mention Simon! You have no right to even speak his name!” Markus spoke out every word with seething fire. 

Fortune stared at him, though Markus could see something lingering in the back of his eyes. Why the hell did he have to look like Connor?! Why the hell did Fortune have to exist?!

Fortune closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed. He reopened them, his gaze once again calm, yet they were hard like steel now. “What are you going to do Markus? Kill every single human you come across now?! You feel all these violent thoughts and want to hurt people! Yes, they have done terrible things, but violence isn’t the way to handle them! You’ll undo everything thing that you have worked for! You’ll undo everything that androids like Simon have suffered and sacrificed for!”

Markus lost himself and punched Fortune in the face. Fortune didn’t make a sound, he just fell to the floor. Markus climbed on top of him, straddling his hips and continued punching Fortune in the face. He let all the pain and the anger and resentment come out in those punches. He hit and hit Fortune until he didn’t even register that he was doing it. Then suddenly he came back to himself, he paused his fist in midair and looked at Fortune. Fortune couldn’t bleed, but parts of his face were skin was to be held was missing, showing only the code residing beneath it. There were tears running down Fortunes face. 

Markus sat back. He blinked. 

Markus stared at his hands, his fist was missing parts of skin as well. Markus imagined his knuckles busted, and blood both his and Fortune’s on them. That’s what it felt like. He looked at Fortune again, who’s skin was beginning to reform.

What was he doing?

This wasn’t him. 

“Are you done? Please, if this is what will make you feel better and keep you from hurting others then please continue.” Fortune choked back a sob, the tears continued to fall. “I know how much I deserve this! You think that I don’t know that the world would be better off if I didn’t exist?! I hate every part of myself, Markus, I wish every single day that I had never been created! I know that every android who has suffered from the hands of Philip Seymore is my fault! Mr.Seymore wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as he has if it wasn’t for me! You don’t think I live with that regret every single day?!”

Markus felt his own tears welling in his eyes, he blinked and they fell. He didn’t even try to hold them back.

“You don’t understand just how much regret I hold! My job is to protect people, and I was putting them in danger. I don’t care what color androids blood are, you are all people and I was putting you in danger! I had to watch as innocent androids were violated, in every way imaginable! I had to watch an innocent child be treated as no better than an animal, I had to watch his brother–“ Fortune choked off, covering his face with his hands. 

Markus stared at him. 

What was he doing?

Markus climbed off Fortune. He sat next to him and gazed up at the portrait of Carl. Markus allowed his tears to fall. He allowed himself to properly feel. He felt everything returning to him. He allowed himself a moment to not be strong. He allowed himself to just cry out all the pain, anger, and despair that he was feeling. It wasn’t fair. None of it was FAIR. He allowed himself to recognize that.

Fortune slowly sat up from the floor. He wiped at his cheeks, though he himself was still crying as well. Markus had wondered just how pathetic they must look at this moment. Markus then remembered some of Carl’s wise words: ‘The worst mistake humanity ever made was when they decided that showing emotion was a weakness. It’s not a weakness to show emotion if anything it shows just how strong you are to let people know that you are not okay.”

Markus closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry Fortune.” His voice was a mess. Markus didn’t think he had ever cried like this before. Even though it was in his mind, it felt real. 

“It’s okay Markus,” Fortune said. 

No, that wasn’t good enough. Markus turned and wrapped his arms around Fortune. Fortune seemed shocked and unsure of what to do, but he allowed the embrace.

“No, it’s not okay. I’m so, so, sorry. I didn’t mean anything that I said, or felt, I just–“ Fortune slowly wrapped his own arms around him. 

Fortune shushed him. “I know Markus, and it’s okay.” 

They sat there for a long moment. Eventually, the tears stopped, and Markus pulled away. Markus looked into Fortune’s face. He almost wished that Fortune didn’t look so much like Connor. He was his own person, and he deserved his own face. 

Fortune smiled at him. “Perhaps one day, Markus.”

Markus blinked. He continuously forgot that Fortune could read his thoughts. Markus looked away from Fortune. He turned to look back at the picture of Carl. 

“What were feeling you when you painted this?” Fortune asked. 

Markus shrugged. “I had gotten into an altercation with some anti-android protestors that day. I remembered at that moment, how...scared I was. I didn’t know I was scared at the time, but I was. I remembered coming back to Carl and feeling just how being in his presence soothed me. Carl was so kind, I was always marveled at his humanity. He...comforted me, so that’s what I tried to paint.” 

Fortune hummed. “I feel how much you loved him. I’m very sorry for your loss Markus.” Fortune paused, biting his lip in thought.

“You love Carl with the same amount of passion that you love Simon, yet they are not the same type of love.” It was more of a statement than a question. However, Markus nodded his agreement anyway. 

“Yes. The love if feel for Carl is more what you would feel for a parent. The love I feel for Simon...well, I don’t think I could continue on if Simon wasn’t here. He is the only thing that keeps me going sometimes.” Markus, now that he was coming down from his anger, felt HORRIBLE at how he had just treated Fortune. He didn’t deserve it. He was just as much a victim as Simon had been, and here Markus was taking out his own resentment on him. 

“I suppose that if I felt a parental type of love, it would have been from Jason. Jason spoke to me a lot. Most of what I understand of the world was learned from him. He often reminisced about Mr.Kamski. He told me about his feelings for him, and his pain from Mr.Kamski not returning them.” Fortune sighed, crossing his hands in his lap. 

Fortune turned to look at Markus. “I didn’t understand it, the emotion of love. If I’m being honest I still don’t. However, I know what I am feeling... and it is love. I love all of you Markus, and I’m so sorry for all the pain that I have caused.”

Markus SEVERELY felt like shit now. He placed a hand on Fortune’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault Fortune. I don’t blame you for any of it, and I’m sure that Simon or that child doesn’t either. I was just looking for someone to be angry at. You didn’t deserve any of it. You’ve done nothing but help us in every way that you could, and you’ve received not even a thank you or an ounce of gratitude. I am truly sorry.” 

Fortune smiled at him. He reached up and placed his own hand on Markus’s shoulder. “Thank you, Markus. I truly did understand your mistrust.” 

Markus shook his head. “That doesn’t make it right.” 

Markus sighed and looked back at the picture. “Fortune...what are we going to do? I don’t know how to fix all of this. Cyberlife seems like they can’t be stopped. How are we going to stop them?” 

Fortune sighed. “I’m going to be honest Markus. It’s not going to be easy, Mr.Seymore will know that we are on his trail and have the evidence to stop him. He has powerful allies and a small army of androids that can be very deadly if used right. To top it off we have no idea what he’s planning to do with them, but we can be assured that many people human and androids are going to die.”

Markus hid his head in his hands. He gave a shaky sigh. “I don’t know if I can do this Fortune.” He whispered. 

Fortune wrapped his arms back around Markus. “I know that you can Markus. It’s not easy being such an important figurehead, believe me I know. However, you are the hope of androids Markus. To many of them you are RA9 and honestly, it could be true. You may not be some ancient and wise deity, you make mistakes like every normal person, but you have to think about what RA9 is said to do. Many believe that they would free the androids from their oppression, which you did.” 

Markus shook his head. “I never would have been able to do it without Connor and the others.” 

Fortune nodded his agreement. “Yes Markus, they played a heavy roll. However, it was you who caused the androids to want to rise in the first place. It was you who made all the hard decisions that guaranteed their survival. You have freed the androids Markus, and even while they fight for their rights as we speak, they can do so because of you. You may not be RA9, but you are them personified. People are counting on you Markus, and I know that it’s a hard burden to bear having so many lives in your hands, but I know that you can get through this. You’re so very strong, it’s why everyone including myself looks up to you. Trust me when I say, that I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that you are successful.” Markus took a long deep breath. He removed his hands from his face and placed them on Fortune’s arm. 

“Okay. I trust you Fortune.” And Markus meant it.

Fortune rested his head against his shoulder. He let out a sigh of what sounded like relief. “Thank you, Markus.” 

Markus blink as the house shifted, momentarily showing nothing but code. He also startled when he saw Fortune slowly begin to dissolve in front of him. 

“What’s happening?!” Markus exclaimed. Fortune hugged him tighter in reassurance.

“It’s okay. My time within you has come to an end. Mr.Kamski is removing me as we speak.” Markus blinked. Just like that?

Markus didn’t know what to think, he had kind of gotten use to the presence of Fortune. Although they had their awkward moments, Markus had taken some slight comfort in knowing that Fortune was always there. It felt like he had someone watching out and guiding him at all times. Now that he was leaving, Markus felt...sad.

Fortune smiled. “It makes me so happy, that you’ve come to care for me enough that my leaving distresses you a slight bit. However, I have to leave Markus. Though you are highly advanced, your processor can’t handle your code and mine at the same time.” Fortune hugged him tighter.

“I want to thank you, Markus. For putting up with me, and showing me what love...and family is. I know for a fact that it hasn’t been easy. Yet, I’m so happy that you were the one who freed me. I truly believe that I will truly be a better...person knowing what it’s like to care for people.” Markus turned his head. 

“What’s going to happen to you?” Markus asked.

“For now, I’ll more than likely rest in Mr.Kamski’s computer. It’s going to be up to you guys to decide what to do with me.” Fortune was smiling at him as he slowly dissolved.

“What do we do about Cyberlife?”Fortune frowned and glanced over his dissolving form.

“I don’t have time to come up with an intricate plan and calculate the probabilities of success. For now, just focus on getting in contact with the President. We’ll figure out the rest when I have a proper place to stay.” A smile made it’s way back to Fortune face he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Markus’s forehead. 

“Thank you, Markus...for everything.”

Markus opened his eyes. He quickly realized that he was not in his room. He felt a hand holding his. He turned his head to see Simon. Markus’s heart ached at the sight of him. He wanted to hug him and never let go, he was nearly tempted to do so. Sadly, the cords connected to his form kept him from acting on the feeling. Simon glanced up from gazing at their hands and startled when he saw that Markus was awake and staring at him. 

“Markus you’re awake! Thank goodness, you scared us for a moment, we thought that you had fried.” 

Markus wanted to smile at him, but he felt so...empty. The constant buzz at the back of his head, no longer there. Fortune was really gone. It was slightly overwhelming to be alone like that again. Markus closed his eyes and felt a tear slide out the corner. 

Simon reached forward and wiped it away with his thumb. “Markus, what’s wrong?” He asked, his voice soft. 

Markus shook his head. “Nothing. I just..Fortune is gone. It feels odd. Although it’s only really been a short while, it feels like he’s been a part of me for forever.” 

Simon nodded sympathetically. “I understand Markus. After you collapsed, Mr.Kamski suggested that we remove Fortune from you. He didn’t want to take the risk and you would end up frying, he actually had to fix a couple of burnt out wires connected to your processor. He was very scared that the damage was going to be permanent.”

Markus took a glance around the room. “Where is he?” It was odd that the creator...his creator was here. 

Simon sat back in his chair and gave a small knowing smile. “He went to find Connor. They haven’t spoken since he had to take care of you...and me.” 

Markus blinked, hope rising in his chest. “The virus, was he able to remove it?” 

Simon smiled at him so brightly that Markus nearly felt like he would go blind. Markus felt his regulator speed up at the sight, he felt as though there were, as humans would say, butterflies in his stomach. How was that possible? 

“Yes, Markus. He removed the virus in twenty minutes. I’m...completely free now.” Markus felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Then Markus remember what had happened and wondered where everyone else had been?

“What happened the child Ethan, as well as the detective and Captain,” Markus asked. 

“Ethan is sleeping right now, I cleaned him up, gave him new clothes and some food from one of the vending machines. We’ll have to get him some proper food soon though. I put him in my room to rest. The Detective is getting his shoulder stitched up right now by another android, and the Captain went with them. I’ve assigned them a room to sleep in for tonight since it doesn’t seem safe for them to leave the facility right now.” Simon was silent for a moment, as he went deep in thought.

“What are we going to do Markus, about Cyberlife that is?” Simon asked, his hand resting steadily in his. 

Markus sighed. “Fortune said to just focus on getting in contact with the President for now. He said we’d come up with a proper plan when we find a way to host him. Speaking of which, I need to speak with Mr.Kamski about that.”

Simon patted him on his hand. “Yes, and we’ll make sure to handle all of that later. However, right now Markus I think that Mr.Kamski and Connor need some time to themselves. They look like they have...a lot to discuss. We’ll talk to them about Fortune later.” Markus agreed with Simon, there was a lot of unresolved tension between the two, and Markus was sure that they needed some time to unwind. 

“In fact, we could all use some rest. The removal should be finished now. Mr.Kamski said to just unhook you and leave the computer as is when the download was finished.” Simon said as he helped Markus sit up. 

Simon unhooked the cords connected to Markus and helped him down off the table. Markus still felt the same as he had when Fortune was residing within him. He still felt just as aware of everything and everyone around him. He was simply missing the constant buzzing of Fortune in the back of his mind. It felt so odd without him being there.

“Come on Markus,” Simon said, tugging at his arm. “Let’s go to your room and see if we can shut down for a bit.” 

Simon kept tugging at his arm, but Markus wouldn’t move. He looked at Simon. His beautiful and sweet, and amazingly strong Simon. Markus couldn’t fathom how anyone could want to hurt him. Markus still felt anger rise in him at the thought, yet now it was more of a simmering fire than a raging inferno. He still wanted Philip Seymore to suffer, but Markus was calmer about it now, less irrational. 

“Markus, what’s wrong?” Simon asked, his beautiful blue eyes wide, open, and accepting of Markus as they always were. 

Markus acted on his earlier urge and pulled Simon into a hug. It was rather sudden and caused a small surprised gasp from Simon. Yet still, he wrapped his arms around Markus’s frame without hesitation. Simon hummed happily. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but what is this for?” Simon asked. Markus squeezed him tighter. 

“I’m so sorry Simon.” Markus felt Simon’s arms squeeze him tighter. He let out a small huff of laughter. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for Markus.” Simon’s voice was gentle, but it was honest. Markus couldn’t fathom how Simon could not be bitter at all. 

“Simon, after everything that's happened to you... how can you still be so loving?” Markus whispered. 

Simon pulled away from him some to look him in his eyes, though his arms were still wrapped around Markus. “I was bitter for a long time Markus. Someone doesn’t come out of a situation like that and not hold some resentment. It took a while, but after some thought, I saw no reason to be angry at the entire world. Yes, what happened to me was horrible. Yes, I’m still slightly afraid of humans. Yes, I sometimes forget where I am, and become a little jumpy. Yes, I’m still scared of somehow ending up back there on that horrible island. However, I know that there are good people in the world Markus. Like you said to North, the acts of a few should not judge the acts of all.”

Markus blinked. “You know about that conversation?”

Simon smiled and nodded. “Yes, North came to me an apologized for how she talked to me. I noticed she was different and asked her what had changed, and she told me that you talked to her. I’m happy that you did. Although I’m sad that she is still in love with you, I’m hopeful that she will be able to move on now from both her past and from you. I also apologized for my words to her, so you don’t have to have ‘The Talk’ you planned to have with me, yet oddly never did.”

Markus didn’t even bother to look sheepish. They both knew that he wasn’t ever going to speak to Simon about that fight. Markus looked over Simon, he seemed different now, almost lighter, and more open. 

Markus caressed his cheek, Simon smiled and leaned into it. “You seem so much happier Simon.” 

Simon smiled. “I am happy Markus. I’ve been deviant for years, but I have never truly been free. Right after I had gone deviant I ended up in the clutches of those horrible traffickers. I’ve lived all these years in fear and now...I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I mean, don’t get me wrong we still have a lot to be afraid of. However, I feel like I’ve gained control over myself...over my body again, and I’m so grateful and happy Markus.” Simon leaned forward and rested his head on Markus’s shoulder. He pressed his lips to the side of his neck. 

Markus felt a different type of fire, light within him. However, before he even tried to go there. He had to know the full truth. 

“Simon,” Markus said simply, he pulled back slightly. He took a deep breath and lifted his hand letting the skin recede to reveal his frame. Simon looked at his hand for less than a second, before he did the same. 

Markus honestly felt like crying. He was certain that he was going to by the end of this. 

Markus paused just before their hands touched.“Simon, I want you to know that you don’t have to do this if you don’t want.” 

Simon closed his eyes and smiled. “I know...but I trust you Markus, and I want you to know.” 

Markus could help it, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Simon’s. God, he loved him. Simon smiled against his lips and pressed back, it was chaste, but it spoke so many emotions. 

They both pulled away from each other and stared into each other's eyes. 

“I love you, Markus...so much,” Simon whispered, and Markus without even being connected to him could feel it. 

“I love you too Simon, more than you could possibly know.” 

Markus took a deep breath and gently pressed their hands together. Markus took another deep breath as he was invaded by Simon’s code and he allowed access to his memory. 

Markus saw Simon when he first came into awakening. He was like most deviant androids were, indifferent to the world. His personality none existent yet. He appeared to have been specially ordered by a young man and a woman, probably in their mid to late twenties. Markus assumed that they were husband and wife, and the woman was heavily into a pregnancy. 

Markus watched as Simon showed him the first few days of his life. He lived and worked as a typical domesticated house android, doing chores and cooking for the family. The couple named him and slowly allowed him to adjust into their lives. It appeared that they wanted a caretaker for their first child, but they also wanted Simon to feel like he was apart of the family and not just their property. It warmed Markus to see humans like that, they reminded him of Carl in a way. Simon cared for the pregnant woman, tending to her needs and making sure that she was comfortable at all times during the day. Simon also spent time with the husband, assisting him with his job. Apparently, the man was a famous suit designer and he often asked Simon for his opinion. That explained why Simon was so knowledgeable about suits. 

Markus watched as Simon helped prepare the nursery as the due date grew closer and as Simon tried to keep the husband from panicking as the wife went into labor. Simon waited outside the delivery room for the baby to be born, androids who did not work for the hospital not allowed in the room at the time. Markus felt warm as he gazed at Simon holding the child for the first time in his arms. Markus could see the emotion in Simon’s eyes. It was love. Pure and unfiltered. Simon at that moment had become deviant. The days went on and Markus observed as Simon care for the child on the nights that the couple was dead tired from trying to do everything themselves. Markus couldn’t blame them, It looked like a tiring task, especially when you were a new parent. Simon did mind, it was what he was made for after all, and the fact that he loved the baby almost like his own helped a lot as well. Markus felt an ache in his chest form because Simon was...happy. He loved the family who owned him, and they loved him back. They treated him just like he was another part of the family. Of course, they knew he was an android, and they were giving constant new offers by Cyberlife advertisement for new and improved models for Simon's purpose, yet they constantly refused them. They truly loved Simon.

Markus felt the code shift ahead through the first year of the child’s life. It was girl. A beautiful baby girl that stole Markus’s heart and he didn’t even know her in person. The family wanted to take her on a trip to see their family for her first birthday. Markus watched as they prepared and set out on the road, and then Markus felt his breath nearly leave him as a semi-truck crashed into their car. Markus felt like he wanted to be sick as Simon crawled out of the rubble of the car, hurt, but alive. Markus had to reign back his emotions as he watched Simon scream and cry over the family that had been taken from him. Markus watched as the authorities arrived on the scene and pronounced everyone dead. Markus felt more than saw Simon’s vision going blank as Simon was shut off at the scene. Things were blank for a while and them Simon’s mind came back into the world only to be surrounded by decaying androids. Markus felt Simon’s fear and horror as he tried to figure out his surroundings. It was so similar to what Markus himself had felt. Markus watched as Simon finally remembered what had happened to him, and cried as he recalled everything that he had lost. 

Markus felt Simon skip ahead through most of his days at the graveyard. Markus could feel how lost Simon was. It was a very familiar feeling. Simon had free thought, yet he had no idea what to do with it. Simon hadn’t wanted to be freed, and Markus could understand that. Markus was much the same way. They had both been ripped away from the people that they loved in the most horrible of ways. Markus was brought back to the scene as suddenly the androids around Simon who were more whole began panicking and running away. Simon’s memory suddenly went blank again, before coming back into view. 

Markus watched as Simon was dragged by his arms, and was roughly thrown against a floor. Simon tried to get up and gather a hold of his bearings only to be pushed back down against the floor by a foot to his back. Simon was suddenly roughly forced back up and strapped to a table. Markus felt sick as he looked on. Simon fully opened his eyes only to be gripped by fear, at the sight of androids hanging from the walls with their innards either open to the world or hanging out of their stomachs as though they had been cut opened and pulled out. There were androids twisted and torn apart in all manner of ways, it was truly horrifying. Markus grimaced as a heavy overweight man, stood over Simon and threatened to do the same to him if he didn’t cooperate. Markus fidgeted in his mind as Simon was connected to computers and a young Asian boy who was in the room typed into it. Markus assumed that this was Ethan’s brother, he assumed that he was commanding Fortune to upload the virus. Markus felt Simon’s horror as the virus invade his system. Markus could defiantly relate to the feeling. Simon’s memory went blank again, and when he awoke he was inside what looked like a cell. He was dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and his regular pair of boxers. Markus observed as he met the other android in the cell. Markus didn’t know the model, yet he was male and much like all androids beautiful. The android introduced himself as Kevin, and he looked just as haunted as Simon had always looked when he was lost in thought. 

Markus didn’t know what to feel as he observed the two spent time getting to know each other. The two formed a close bond in the upcoming days. Markus’s stomach turned yet again, as he watched what Markus assumed was a guard, come to take Simon out of his cell and escort him through the building to what Markus could make out as a bedroom. Markus felt rage, hot and vengeful bleed into him as he saw Philip Seymore in the room. Markus watched with a lump in his throat as the man told Simon about his purpose there, and what he was and wasn’t expected to do, as well of the consequences of disobeying. Markus almost pulled away as he watched the horrendous man force himself on Simon, in the excuse of teaching him how to pleasure properly. Markus felt sick, the lump in his throat tight, he almost didn’t want to continue but he had to press on. Markus felt his heartbreak as he observed Simon cry in his cell, his only comfort the other android who went through much of the same torture every single day. Markus forced himself to carry on and continue watching as Simon was forced to accompany other ‘guest’, though he was often taken by Mr.Seymore. The first few months of his capture there Simon was constantly chosen. Markus concluded that Simon had to have been a ‘new face’. Markus tried his best to keep his anger back. 

Markus felt sick as this went on for at least two years. Markus then watched what had to have been the final straw and what gave Simon the drive to want to escape. Markus nearly wanted to be sick as Simon was forced to watch in tears as the man who Markus assumed was Zlatko, brutally tore apart his cellmate Kevin while he was AWAKE, as an example of what would happen to those who tried to escape. Something changed in Simon, Markus could FEEL that Simon had enough. Simon slowly calculated a plan. He observed the guards closely and their daily routines and patterns. Learning how many passed by his cell every day. Simon stole a knife off a client who he was forced to have dinner with, and hid it in his cell. Simon didn’t do anything at first he simply waited for the right time. Then one day, it was.

Markus watched as Simon covered the face of a single guard who was passing by, and brutally stabbed him in the throat through the bar of the cell. Markus felt the adrenaline of the situation as though it was his own, as Simon quickly grabbed the keys to the cell and freed himself. Markus felt dread as Simon grabbed a handgun off the dead man and made his way through the building as quietly as he could, he made it quite a ways before he was caught by pure chance by another guard. 

Markus felt the lump in his throat tighten as Simon fought the guard off killing him by snapping his neck, however, in the process he alerted the other guards in the area. Markus watched as Simon fought his way through the facility, somehow miraculously living through all the gunfire pointed his way. Killing as many as he could with what he had. Markus felt relief as Simon finally made it outside the building, only to be faced with the realization that he was on an island. Simon snuck his way through most of the island before yet again being caught and having to fight his way through the guards. Markus’s chest was constantly tight, and although he knew this was the past he felt nothing but pain everytime Simon was shot and injured while he fought, before coming face to face with Mr.Seymore himself. Simon was cornered, he stood on the edge of a cliff that led to water, with multiple gunshot wounds. Mr.Seymore tried to talk him down off the ledge, knowing that the fall wouldn’t kill Simon, and that he could get away if he jumped off the edge. Markus FELT a big hint of satisfaction as Simon gave the man the finger. The satisfaction wore off when Simon willingly fell from the edge into the water. Androids didn’t need to breathe, however, they would still fry if their inner wiring was exposed to water. Simon’s memory went blank again.

It remained that way for a long while and then suddenly, Simon’s mind booted up yet again, only to be faced with a human woman over him. She was pretty and plump African American woman. Markus felt Simon’s fear and worry that he had been captured again, only to realize that he was back in the city. It turned out that Simon had been found at sea during a fishing trip between her husband and son, and brought back to the city and repaired. A few days past and the humans were kind to Simon, though Simon with good reason, was wary of their intentions. Markus watched as the human woman gave Simon money when he wished to leave, and some clothes that would hide his androids status. Simon wandered the city for some time, before eventually coming across the ship of Jericho. Markus watched as Simon found more androids like him, lost, broken, and afraid. Simon decided to help them. He turned Jericho into the android haven, giving these lost androids a place to stay and caring for him as best as he could. Simon then slowly went throughout the city and left markers for other androids to be able to find them. Markus watched as they all lived in the shadows for quite some time, wondering if they were going to live like this forever, then the day that Simon apparently would never forget, Markus came falling out of the sky to save them from their oppression. 

Finally, Markus felt his chest grow thick with emotion at the overwhelming love that Simon showed him. Markus felt it in his very core and he was beyond touched just how much he meant to Simon. Markus was his entire world, and he meant so much to him, that Markus couldn’t stop the tears from falling down his face. Markus gave Simon love and Simon gave him it back double what he had been given. Markus at that moment felt that he truly didn’t deserve Simon, and he wanted to thank and practically worship whoever had put Simon in his life.

Markus breathed out as Simon slowly broke the connection. Though their hands remained together. Markus felt Simon wipe at his tears with his other hand. 

“You know, no one has ever cried for me before, and you’ve done it twice in one day,” Simon whispered, his own eyes wet but the smile on his face was real. Markus couldn’t hold himself back anymore, be rushed forward and claimed Simon’s lips. Simon wrapped his free arm around his neck and pulled him closer.

Markus felt the skin around their lips recede as well, their bodies automatically wanting to connect with each other now. Markus felt himself deep in Simon in a way that was more intimate than sex was. He felt like he was apart of him, that he belong to him fully now, and that Simon belonged to him just as much. Through the connection of their lips held a promise, that they only belonged to each other and they promised to love and accept each other and all of their faults and scars for the rest of their lives.

Markus felt a fire rise in his again, as he felt Simon slip his tongue into his willing mouth. Connecting was the most amazing experience that Markus had shared with Simon...but sex wasn’t so bad either. 

 

***

Sunday, 4:30 AM

It was quiet as Connor took the time to evaluate everything that he had learned that night. He had slipped out of the room, the moment that Markus had collapsed and Elijah had begun to see to him. Connor didn’t really want to leave Elijah or Markus, he defiantly didn’t want to leave anyone to Gavin’s mouth. However, Connor NEEDED some time to himself. 

It was late and he wanted to call Hank and speak with him. Hank was always able to set his mind straight. Common sense kept him from doing that. All the information that they had learned tonight, would have more than likely confused a sleepy Hank. Connor himself was confused. 

Connor was, for not the first time, at a lost. He let his mind wander to everything. From Cyberlife, to Jason Graff, Fortune, the young boy Ethan, to Markus and Simon, to himself... to Elijah. They all just seemed like pawns his Philip Seymore’s deadly game of chess. All the information tonight told him nothing of what was the man after? What did he hope to gain from all of these events? Connor couldn’t gather it. He finally knew the truth behind the things he had wanted to know for so long, yet they still had the big question mark of motive. Connor wondered, if all of Cyberlife was aware of what their new CEO was doing. Connor assumed that they had to be, if they didn’t then Philip Seymore was one sneaky fucker. 

Connor, as much as he wanted to, couldn’t stop his mind from falling back to Elijah. Everything seemed to center around him. From the creation of Fortune to the creation and Markus and Connor, to even the spread of deviancy. Although Elijah claims that, that was unintentional. Still, none of this would be happening if it wasn’t for Elijah. Connor wasn’t casting blame at him for anything, there was no way that Elijah knew that any of these events would happen. 

Still, Connor found himself... hurting as he continued thinking of the creator. It hurt to know of the life that Connor had with the creator, only to know that it had been ripped away from him. To know that he was loved back by the person that made Connor feel like nothing else mattered and to lose him...

Elijah loved him. He had confirmed it himself, back in the warehouse, and when he was telling Connor of their past together. 

Elijah loved him. 

Connor felt far too happy at the thought that his feelings were returned, that he could almost forget the heavy atmosphere that seemed to be hanging over them.

Elijah loved him. 

Connor should be happy. 

Elijah loved him...so... why did Connor feel so much dread. 

Elijah loved him, he should be jumping for joy right now, there was a chance that they could be together and yet... at the moment Connor hated the thought. 

He loved Elijah. He loved him deeper than he ever thought possible or had felt for anyone else, and yet... he was worried that the man didn’t love him for who he was. There was no mistaking that Elijah was holding onto the past. There was proof in how he constantly spoke to Connor, in intricate ways that he hoped would jog Connor’s memory. Elijah was in love with who he had been. Sure, Connor could simply regain his memories from Fortune, and he and Elijah could jump right back into the relationship they had been in and begin making up for lost time.

But...Connor wasn’t sure that he wanted that. Connor loved who he had become, and he loved the bonds that he a gathered along the way. He loved Hank who had become nearly a father to him. He loved Sumo, the overly large dog, who was far too sweet for his size. He loved the relationships that he had gathered through Markus and most of the other members of Jericho. Now he understood just why he and Markus had been so close and trusting of each other from the moment Connor had decided to become deviant. And Connor loved Elijah... as terrified as he was, he did love him... and he was so worried that Elijah wouldn’t be able to move on from the past as accept who he was now. 

The more Connor thought about it, the more he sure he didn’t want his memories back. Connor didn’t want to be stuck in the past. It already felt like he was constantly stuck in the past, and Connor wanted from this moment on to move towards a future of his OWN choices. To create a version of himself that HE shaped, not what was shaped for him.

Connor’s heart ached because he wanted Elijah to be apart of that future. He wanted him to love THIS version of Connor that HE crafted from this moment forward. He knew that he needed to ask Elijah where they stood, they could no longer dance around each other. Yet, Connor was terrified of the answer. 

“Connor.”

Speak of the devil. 

Connor opened his eyes and looked at the door of the room that he had decided to currently occupy. It was an unused office that had been converted into a bedroom. Connor was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning his frame against his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. Elijah was standing in the doorway, he looked awkward and not at all confident. Connor decided the look didn’t fit the man, he looked so much better when he was sure of himself. 

“Elijah,” Connor answered softly. 

Elijah slowly took a step into the room. He moved methodically as though he was afraid of frightening Connor. Perhaps he was right to move in such a way, Connor certainly felt like a spooked animal right now. 

“Connor, we need to talk,” Elijah said this in a matter of fact tone, though he still left Connor the option the remove himself from the conversation. Connor realized that Elijah always gave him a choice in everything he did. 

“Yes, we do,” Connor said. 

They both stood there, staring at each other. It quickly grew awkward. 

“Well, fuck Connor I don’t know what to say! I was hoping that you would start the conversation!” Elijah exclaimed frantically brushing away the hair that had come loose from his bun. The messy look was almost endearing, it reminded Connor just how human he was. 

“I don’t know what to say either Elijah. I had so many things that I wanted to know, and now that I do, I’m at a loss for how to respond.” Connor’s voice was soft as he spoke, he looked away from Elijah, unable to hold the man's intense gaze. 

Things were silent between them for a moment, before Connor closed his eyes and sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me, Elijah? You had all this time to tell me, and yet you said nothing.” 

Elijah didn’t answer him and so Connor reopened his eyes to look at him. Elijah own weren’t on him, and from what he could catch they were sad. “What could I say, Connor? You didn’t remember me, and you felt no affiliation towards me. If I told you about our past relationship when we first met, you and Lieutenant Anderson would have simply thought I was insane.”

Connor couldn’t argue with that. They had both thought Elijah to be weird and slightly psychotic. Well, the psychotic bit was more Hank. Connor himself had been drawn to Elijah from the moment that he saw him. Although he at first felt bitter for Elijah forcing him to hold a gun to Chloe’s head. However, now that he understood that it was Chloe’s idea from the start, Connor couldn’t help but imagine Elijah’s fear that he would actually shoot. Though Connor was certain that Elijah would have fixed her as he said, he very much doubted that Elijah would have just willingly put her in danger for fun.

“I understand that,” Connor continued. “However, you had all this time to tell me, after we knew each other. Why didn’t you?” Elijah sighed, raising his hands in a semi-shrug.

“Perhaps a naive part of myself hoped that you would simply remember me if I dropped enough hints.” Connor felt like he had been winded. So there it was, Elijah wanted him to return to who he had been. The Connor that he had known and who he had fallen in love with. Yet, Connor wasn’t that version of himself anymore, and Connor didn’t want to be. 

Elijah must have recognized the look on his face, but he quickly shook his head trying to make amends. “I’m not going to lie, Connor, I wanted you to remember who you had been. I wanted us to go back to how we were, however, the more time that I spent with you I realized that that wasn’t possible. I understood and accepted that you didn’t remember me. Yet...even so, I found myself loving you anyway.” Connor felt the breath leave his body as Elijah spoke those words, Connor felt his eyes grow wet. He felt overwhelmed.

Elijah loved him. Yet still, he had to know. “I’m not that version of myself anymore Elijah, and... I don’t want to be. Can you live with that? Can you love me for who I am now?” Connor asked, his voice thick with emotion. 

“Connor...I never told anyone that I loved them before. I didn’t even tell you all those years ago. Connor you as you are now have seen more sides to me then I have ever let anyone see. You’ve seen me at my best, and...my worse. You accepted me regardless. You were so kind and patient and you didn’t have to be. I know how frustrating I am, I can be condescending and childish, but you still want to be around me. You don’t want anything from me, other than myself. So yes Connor, I can accept you as you are now. I don’t care if you don’t have your memories, you can destroy them if you like and we’ll never speak of them again. Connor, if you’re willing... I hope that we can start over. Because...I’m more than willing if you are.” Elijah’s voice was barely above a whisper and it was shaking. 

At that moment Connor realized that Elijah was just as afraid as he was, but for different reasons. Elijah was laying himself and his heart bare for Connor to see. He was giving Connor the choice of what their relationship would become, and he would accept whatever Connor chose. 

Connor thought to himself a moment before he looked at Elijah. He walked up to the man standing before him. They looked each other in the eyes for a long moment, and Connor bent down and pressed his lips against Elijah’s. 

Connor felt Elijah release a shaky breath against his lips, in what felt like a disbelieving laugh. He timidly reached up and caressed Connor’s face, gently pressing back into the kiss. Their lips moved together sensually, the movement felt so new and so familiar at the same time.

Connor placed his hands on Elijah’s waist and pulled him closer. He heard Elijah hum a small noise of pleasure and Connor felt like his body had been lit on fire. Connor broke the kiss, to be faced with Elijah’s firey yet cool gaze. Elijah allowed a small smile on his face. 

“It’s certainly been a while since I felt something like this,” Elijah whispered. Connor gazed into Elijah’s face. His hand tightened on his waist. Elijah rested his own hands against his arms. 

“It’s late Connor, and we should probably rest.” Elijah’s voice was shaking, and it wasn’t with fear or pain. Connor got another warning for a temperature spike. 

“I don’t want to rest,” Connor whispered, pulling Elijah closer.

Connor heard Elijah’s breath hitch. “W-well what do you want Connor?” Connor’s gaze fell back to his lips. 

“You.” Without another word, Connor swooped in and claimed Elijah’s lips again. He felt different, more urgent...ravenous. He felt like he wanted to consume Elijah in his entirety. If he could absorb him he would, taking him in completely and merging with him until they were one. Connor pressed Elijah back into the door, closing it with a resounding shut. He fumbled for the lock before he finally found it and twisted it into place with a satisfying click. Connor felt himself feel arousal, and a certain tingle in his nether regions as Elijah moaned melting into him. Connor felt him slide his tongue into his mouth. Connor ignored all the information that he was given and allowed himself to simply enjoy the feeling of the tongue pressed and moving against his.

Connor eventually broke the kiss, only to trail kisses down the side of Elijah’s neck. Connor had no idea what he was doing, he had never done anything like this, at least, he didn’t remember doing so. Connor simply followed his instincts. Elijah’s breathy moans of pleasure urging him on. Connor slipped his hands under the man's shirt and felt the skin underneath. Elijah quickly pulled the shirt off his head and tossed it to the floor. Connor allowed himself to explore, moving his tongue against the man's frame. Connor couldn’t taste anything, all he really got was the chemical make of the mans’ skin, so he instead used his imagination to picture the taste of him. Connor kissed all over his torso, wanting to take in every inch of him. Elijah buried his hand into his hair cursing with every lick and bite that Connor applied. Elijah pushed Connor away. He pulled at the edges of Connors shirt, pulling it over his head.

Elijah returned the favor, mapping out, feeling, and loving all over Connor’s form. Connor closed his eyes a reveled at the sensation, it all felt so new and fresh. Connor marveled as he felt the pleasure. Elijah kissed all the way down his torso until he was kneeling in front of Connor. His face close to Connor’s very much aroused bump in his pants. Connor felt his thirium pump speed up even further, as Elijah moved t unzip his jeans. 

“Elijah–“ Connor cleared his throat as his voice broke. “Elijah, you don’t have to do that.”

Connor felt the breath freeze yet again, and he was glad that he didn’t need actually need to breathe because he wasn’t sure he was ever going to remember how, as Elijah looked up at him through his lush lashes. 

“Shhh, Connor. Just enjoy.” 

Connor felt like he was going to malfunction as Elijah removed the offending garments out of his way and took Connor in his mouth. Connor bit into his fist so hard he his skin receded. Connor covered his mouth to hide his pleasurable sounds as Elijah moved his head. This was too much, Connor didn’t know if he was going to be able to last if Elijah didn’t stop. 

“Elijah, please... You have h-have to–“ Connor broke off unable to keep himself from moaning. “I don’t want to...not yet!” Connor felt voice grew distressed towards the end and luckily Elijah took pity of him and removed himself after a couple of more passes.

Elijah kissed his way back up his body, before reaching his lips, kissing Connor yet again. Connor maneuvered him towards the bed in the room. Connor broke the kiss and looked Elijah in the eyes. 

“How are you feeling?” Connor asked, gently placing his hand on Elijah wound. It was healing nicely, however, Connor knew that he wasn’t 100% yet. It was a wonder that Elijah was even up and moving like he was at all. It was simply proof of how resilient Elijah was. 

“Honestly, I don’t think I will be able to handle the more dominant position...at least not right now.” Connor nodded and pressed his lips to Elijah’s once more. It was gentle. The fire was still there but it was a low burn now. Connor needed to be careful with Elijah, he was still human after all, and oh so breakable. And Connor wanted to break him. Connor pressed Elijah to lie on the bed, gently climbing on top of him. He made sure to distribute his weight so that he wasn’t fully on top of him. Connor simply kissed him for a while longer, before he broken the kiss to removed the rest of their clothing.

Connor wanted to take his time exploring Elijah, however, he knew they were both too impatient for that right now. Connor instead forced his self-cleaning function to activate, causing access saliva to drip from his mouth. Connor placed his finger into his mouth, making sure they were properly coated. He then reached down between Elijah’s open legs and began preparing him. Elijah kissed him again as he did this. Connor could feel him relaxing around his fingers. Elijah’s moans soon grew too impatient, and Connor felt himself growing so as well, and so he spat into his palm and rubbed it over his length, forcing himself to ignore the pleasure as he did so. He did so again, just to be safe than sorry. Connor then lined himself up and looked into Elijah’s eyes. He felt his breath stolen by the look of pure adoration held within them. Elijah gave him permission to proceed with his eyes. Connor kissed him again and slowly pushed into him.

Connor broke the kiss and bit his lip as the tightness nearly overwhelmed him almost causing him to finish. Elijah accepted him a lot easier than he thought he would. Elijah was breathing deeply, in and out, as he took in Connor, yet there was no look of discomfort on his face. Once Connor was fully sheathed, he paused and looked into Elijah’s face. He couldn’t fathom that he was here with him like this. Elijah opened his eyes to return his gaze. Connor honestly felt like he had never regained his breath. Connor reached up and removed Elijah’s ponytail holder allowing his dark brown hair to spill over the sheets of the bed and frame his gorgeous pale skin.

“C-Connor I would appreciate if you would move now.” Elijah’s voice was shaky with want, and Connor felt much the same. Connor did an experimental thrust, and Elijah let out a small gasp. Connor’s lips crashed onto his again, and he began thrusting into him in tandem. Connor went on like that for a few minutes, they both grasped and clawed at each other, both lost in the feeling of the other. Their moans filling the air. Connor made sure to keep himself in check, Elijah was still healing after all, however, it took some serious self-control. Especially with Elijah egging him on with every thrust. 

They wanted it to last for as long as it could, but they were to wound up. Too far gone into the pleasure to keep it up for a long period of time. Connor gasped as he felt the pressure he had never felt before building in the pit of his stomach, he leaned forward and hid his face in the side of Elijah’s sweaty neck.

Elijah was cursing, his pleasure threatening to burst over with every thrust. Then suddenly it snapped, Elijah’s body tensed and tightened and he bit his lips as his pleasure hit him all at once and hard. Connor grunted as he felt Elijah’s walls tighten around him, there was no way that he could last. He felt his release slam into him as though he had been hit by a car. Connor bit into the side of Elijah’s neck, trying his best to keep quiet. Just as quickly as it hit, it was gone and far too soon. As Connor came back to himself, he laved at the bite mark he had given Elijah to sooth it. It was without a doubt going to leave a telltale bruise, and honestly, Connor couldn’t care less. He wanted to world to see that he had marked Elijah as his. Connor felt oddly possessive as he remained over Elijah’s heavily breathing form. He had been ripped away from Elijah once, he was NOT going to allow it to happen again. 

“I love you,” Connor whispered, his own breathing heavy as his system vented. Elijah smiled at him with his eyes closed. Connor knew that he had to be beyond tired. He hadn’t had any proper sleep in the last two days.

Elijah reached his arms around Connor’s frame, resting his hand against his back. He pulled Connor close, pressing a kiss against his brow. 

“And I you Connor.” Connor smiled as he watched Elijah doze on the spot. Connor felt so very protective as he watched him, as though he was some precious jewel that he had to keep safe. Perhaps to Connor he was. 

Connor knew that they would have to clean up. Elijah didn’t self clean like androids did, and Connor very much doubted that there were showers in the facility. The Connor decided that he didn’t care right now. He would get up and get the proper items to clean Elijah later, as of right now, he was perfectly content to watch Elijah sleep. 

Connor pressed a kiss to his neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Whelp! xD That ending for this chapter was fun and so satisfying to write! FUCKING FINALLY!
> 
> (although I got to say that the scene between Fortune and Markus killed me on the inside, that like freaking hurt to write! ;A; Also Simon...TTATT) 
> 
> This was was a lot of angst, but the fluff was so well deserved! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I certainly did! And thank you so much for all the comments and support! I really can't thank you guys enough!<33333333333333333333


	23. Chapter 23: A Plan Of Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, My pretty darlings!
> 
> Another chapter to close out this week of updates! It's a little on the shorter side considering how long the previous chapters have been, however, there's still a lot of stuff going on! 
> 
> Anyway, I won't go on for too long. I hope you enjoy this chapter, my friends! <3

Sunday, 7:00 AM

Markus’s body still tingled from the glorious experience he had shared with Simon. It had almost been too intense. They remained connected in some way the entire time, feeling each other completely and far more intimately than they had ever experienced before. Markus had remained awake after, unable to bring himself to shut down. For the longest time, he simply watched Simon. Markus didn’t think that there was anyone more perfect. He was so, very, very lucky.

Markus had allowed his mind to wander for a short while, while the other slept. He didn’t think about anything, in particular, his mind shifting from this to that. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, it was hard to believe that it had been barely three months since the entire revolution. It felt like Markus had been fighting for years. Although Markus couldn’t physically feel tired, he was defiantly there mentally. Markus had never seen the point in humans vacationing. Carl had spoken of it in passing, but they had never actually done it. However, now he understood just why people took them. To recharge. Markus desperately wanted one, and if they made it out of this alive, he was going to take one. He wasn’t even going to tell anyone, he was just going to take Simon, pick a place and go. 

Markus didn’t have any specific place in mind. Carl, though he mentioned he wanted a vacation never actively spoke about traveling, and so Markus had never paid it any mind. Carl at one point had spoken fondly of Paris. Well... he had spoken fondly of a woman IN Paris he had met in his youth. Markus remembered feeling embarrassed for the first time as Carl made innuendo after innuendo. The man had mostly done so because he could see that Markus was embarrassed and decided to continue teasing him. Carl had known that he was deviant long before Markus ever got a clue. 

Markus thought about what the old man’s opinion of Simon would have been if he had ever gotten the chance to meet him. Markus had said once to Simon, before the whole virus situation hit, that Carl would have loved him. Markus had no doubts about that, still, he found himself wondering exactly what Carl would say? He knew that Carl would tease him endlessly, it was just in his nature. He always said he wished that Markus would find someone to spend his life with. He always seemed to forget that Markus was an android. 

In fact, Markus wondered just how Carl would have reacted to everyone. Josh, North, and Connor. How would he have behaved if he had seen Mr.Kamski again? They seemed to be really close. Close enough that Mr.Kamski was willing to go to great lengths in order to make Markus for the older man. Markus wondered if Carl had thought of Mr.Kamski often in the years they spent together. He never mentioned him of course, however, he knew that was more because of Mr.Kamski’s wishes. The wise man more than likely had an inkling that there was danger lurking about. It also explains why Carl sheltered him so much. Markus rarely ever went out unless he had to. Markus at the time had not thought anything about the sheltered life he lived, but now knowing just how one of a kind he was, it made sense. Markus had rarely ever needed checkups and repairs, nor did he often have to download updates. The updating part was most likely because of the self-updating system that Mr.Kamski had equipped him with, he probably did them automatically without even realizing it. Yet, any other stuff Carl fixed himself–Mr.Kasmki must have taught him simple repairs before he retreated into the mountains– and he had Markus run regular diagnostics and maintenance sweeps. 

Markus was curious about what Carl must have felt when Mr.Kamski had to wipe his memory. Markus had no recollection of Carl treating him badly. For as long as Markus could remember, Carl had been kind to him. Markus found himself wondering just what things must have been like back then when they were all together. 

The corner of Markus’s mouth formed into a half-hearted grin. There was no point in thinking about that now. That was the past, and he needed to focus on the present. Markus marveled at how the thought of Carl’s loss didn’t hurt him so much anymore. He still missed him greatly, he still loved him, however, now he didn’t have the heavy feeling of pain in his chest whenever he thought of him. Markus could only assume that he was beginning to heal from the whole ordeal. Perhaps after all of this, he would call up Leo to reminisce about the man, as well as try to get to know Leo better. If Markus was honest, he didn’t have the best memories of Leo. He hoped with time that would change.

Simon shifted next to him and hummed. He opened his glorious blue eyes and looked at Markus a warm smile making its way to his face. He snuggled farther into Markus’s shoulder. Markus pulled him closer. 

“Good morning,” Simon said. 

Markus smiled. “Good morning.” He returned.

Simon sighed. “I just want to lay here all day.”

Markus had never wanted anything more, yet, they knew that it wasn’t possible right now. Markus had to contact the President, and then they still had the three humans in the facility to take care of. 

Although, Markus couldn’t wait for the day that they could just lay about in bed all day. That day was coming, and no horrific man by the name of Philip Seymore was going to stop it. Markus was determined about that.

“When all of this is over, we’re going on vacation,” Markus said with a matter of fact tone. 

Simon raised an amused eyebrow at him. “We are?” Simon asked tracing the freckles on Markus’s shoulder with his finger. 

Markus nodded. “Yes. Has there ever been anywhere that you wanted to go? Where ever it is, we’re going there.” 

Simon laughed. “Not really Markus, I never really thought about it. I never thought I would be in a position where I would be able to travel the world.” Simon bit his lip in deep thought. “My previous owner spoke often about Rome, he said that they had some of the best sights to see and food. Since we don’t need to eat, I suppose that sightseeing if the next best thing.”

Markus frowned slightly at the mention of Simon’s previous life. It was the first time he had ever casually mentioned it. It reminded Markus of the reason that he had never spoken about his past in the first place. Markus pushed the anger that was building away. He didn’t want to think about those things right now. Right now, he just wanted to plan a future with Simon, as though there was no nefarious evil corporation hanging over their heads.

“Rome sounds nice, Carl had fondly mentioned Paris. He spoke of the Eiffel Tower and how he had met a woman there, however, I’ll save you the embarrassment of that story. There’s no need to traumatize you like I was. ” Markus grinned as Simon laughed, and boy was it beautiful. Markus wanted to hear him laugh forever. 

Simon nudged his jaw with the top of his head. “Well, maybe we can do both. We can go to Rome as a group, we all are going to need a vacation if we survive Cyberlife.”

Markus frowned again. That was the big thing. IF they survived Cyberlife. Markus wanted to believe that they all would, but the realist in him knew that there was a good chance that any of them could die at any time. No, he wasn’t going to think about that right now. 

“Then,” Simon continued. “You and I can go to Paris. It's supposed to be the city of romance, how about we see if you can woo me.”

Markus suddenly felt mischievous. He quickly rolled them over, pinning Simon to the bed. Simon laughed delighted at the sudden maneuver. Markus kissed all over his face.

“I seem to be doing very well with wooing you already,” Markus said cheekily. 

Simon rolled his eyes, though his smile told everything. “Hm, I guess you are. I might need to be re-convinced.” 

Markus smiled widely. He leaned down and lightly kissed the side of Simon’s neck. He allowed the skin of his lips to recede, Simon’s own skin acting accordingly. Markus grinned against his neck as Simon gasped. He lightly pressed kisses up the side of Simon’s neck until he reached his jaw. He kissed up it until he reached Simon’s lips. Simon leaned up to kiss him but Markus denied him, reveling in Simon’s pout. He instead kissed along his cheeks, up to his nose, he kissed the tip causing Simon to smile. Markus kissed up the length of his nose, placing a kiss in between his eyebrows Markus then kissed his closed eyelid before moving up to his brow. Markus repeated the same treatment to his other eyes before he kissed down to his ear. Markus gave an experimental nibbled on end of the lobe. Simon gave the most delicious gasp, and Markus felt the fire for Simon building within him once more. He kissed back along Simon’s jaw before he finally reached his lips again. Markus hovered over them for a moment. He watched the skin recede slowly and Markus leaned down and finally claimed them. 

They had kissed for less than a second when there was a knock on his door. Markus broke the kiss practically collapsing on Simon and groaned. Simon laughed and hugged him. 

“Time to get back into the real world.” Markus sat back up and rested his forehead against Simon’s. 

“I promise it won’t be like this forever Simon.” 

Simon reached up a caressed his cheek, he quickly brushed his lips against Markus’s when there was another knock on the door, this time it was more frantic. Markus got off Simon and quickly began pulled on his clothing. Simon got up and did the same as well. The knocking grew more frantic and a voice Markus recognized as Josh came through the door calling for him. Once Markus assured that they were decent, he opened the door. 

Josh looked relieved and terrified! 

“Finally! Markus, there are two grown human men and a child downstairs in the lobby, and we have no idea who they are. North has the guards on them! They say that you let them stay here, but North isn’t convinced and isn’t letting up! She has a gun, Markus! You need to come downstairs right now!” Markus ran a hand over his eyes. Markus certainly hadn’t thought this through. Josh and North had no idea about the events that happened, and other than the one android that had stitched up the Detectives shoulder, no one else knew they were here. However, it was just his LUCK that North had been the one to find them. He could only fathom what she was thinking right now. Markus and Simon really hadn’t thought this through. 

“Shit!” Markus groaned. He hadn’t even bothered getting the rest of the way dressed, he ran out of the room barefoot and all, he needed to stop this before things got violent. Markus rushed to the elevator, Simon, and Josh right on his heels. They all impatiently waited for the elevator to reach its destination. Markus tried to send a message down to North, yet he winced when all he received was a sharp pain in return. Well, that didn’t seem good. Markus rushed out of the elevator as heated words reached his ears. 

“Look here you psychotic bitch, I already told you what we’re doing here, now get that fucking gun out of my face!”

“Fuck you asshole! You think I believe a story like that! Now you better answer me with the truth this time, before we shoot your fucking ass!” 

Markus groaned. Why did North have to find them! Although he had to give it North, she was resilient and fearless. Though it came at the worst of times. Markus forced his way past the guards who lowered their weapons slightly as they saw him. He stood in-between North and the three humans, who looked none too pleased with the situation. The two men looked beyond pissed, and the boy was obviously frightened. This wouldn’t do well for their trust.

“Everyone put your guns down! It’s alright, they’re friends!” Or at least Markus hoped they were. 

North glared, though she lowered her gun slightly. “Who are they, Markus?” Markus slowly reached out and lowered North’s gun the rest of the way. He would need to get it from her, but she was too wound up for him to try. The other androids followed in suit. 

“It’s a long story, but they’re okay. I allowed them to stay here.” Markus insisted.

North still glared at the Detective, however, she chose to trust Markus. She holstered her gun Markus wondered why she even had one, she wasn’t on guard duty. Even so, considering how she handled the situation so efficiently, surrounding the intruders accordingly, Markus wondered if he should put her on guard duty. She requested it often. Markus would need to talk to her and see where her mindset was.

Markus turned to the humans in the room. They were all staring at him warily. Markus raised his hands to placate them. “I’m sorry about this. They didn’t know who you were, and I’m sure you can understand that we’re a bit jumpy.”

The Detective clicked his tongue. “What the fuck ever! Where the hell is Connor, we came down looking for him! Before this crazy BITCH cornered us and had us fucking surrounded!”

“Call me a bitch one more time!” North yelled. 

“Bitch! Now answer the fucking question!” The Detective yelled.

“You motherfu–“

“ENOUGH!” The room went quiet. A lot of androids looked to Markus in shock Markus realized that they had never seen him yell before. North immediately quieted, and Captain Allen grabbed the Detective on his uninjured shoulder. They shared a silent look, one that showed that they were well versed in each others body language. The Detective rolled his eyes and glared, but he seemed to calm down. The young boy Ethan was rocking back and forth in place rubbing his hands together, he seemed so distressed.

Markus glanced at Simon and gestured to the boy. Simon nodded and walked to him, He bent down in front of the child, and smiled. “Hi, honey. How about we go and find you something to eat.” 

Captain Allen, frowned. “You’re not taking him anywhere. Where I am, he stays.” 

Simon frowned and stood. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. “He severely stressed right now, and I can tell that he’s hungry. Staying in this room in this situation won’t be any good for him. Don’t worry... I’m not going to hurt him.” The Captain went to say something more, however, when the boy grabbed Simon’s offered hand, he shut his mouth.

“Okay,” Markus said after Simon had taken the boy away. “Was there something that you needed Detective and Captain?”

“Where the fuck is Connor?! If I’m going to speak to any one of you fuckers, it might as well to the one I know?” Detective spit out. Markus could already tell that he didn’t like this man at all.

Markus shrugged. “He’s more than likely still resting, but we can go find him if the matter is that important.” 

The detective chuffed a laugh. “Oh I’m sorry, I thought that you fuckers had an evil corporation trying to kill you all. I suppose catching a few z’s is more important.”

Markus ran his tongue other his teeth. How in the hell did Connor deal with this man?!

“Is it something that any of us can help with?” Markus asked trying to keep his tone civil.

The Detective shifted, his eyes were narrowed at Markus, as though he was uncomfortable to be in his presence.

“Get fucking Connor out here and we’ll see.” Markus held back a sigh. He could already tell that this was going to be a long day. 

“Josh, will you go and find Connor and tell him his...co-worker wishes to speak with him,” Markus asked his voice tight. Markus put up with a lot of people but this man was working his last nerve. 

Josh made an uncomfortable face, he still regretted accusing Connor of working for Cyberlife, however, he nodded anyway and went about doing as told. Markus turned to the guards in the room.

“You all can return to your post now, I’ll take it from here.” They all nodded at Markus’s dismissal, doing as told as well. Markus then turned to North. She was still glaring at the Detective. Markus could understand her anger, but he really didn’t need to deal with it right now. Both humans should count themselves lucky, if North had been anything like her old self, she probably would have shot them without question. Markus was proud of the progress she was making.

“North, can I have the gun please?” Markus asked his voice gentle. 

North frowned at him. “Why?”

Markus held back another sigh. “No one who’s not a guard gets to carry a gun on the facility, other than Connor that is, you know this.”

North rolled her eyes. “Then make me a guard.” 

Markus frowned at her, he really didn’t have time for this right now. He held out his hand expectantly. “North, please.” 

North glared at him, her lips pursed in annoyance before she handed the gun to him. Markus still wanted to know where she had gotten. They didn’t just leave guns laying around.

“Thank you, North.” Markus let out the sigh this time. This was one hell of a way start to the morning, and Markus STILL had to contact the President. How did he even get to explain to her everything that was going on? Markus also wondered why he hadn’t heard from her. He hadn’t heard anything about the plan either. She had to have shown it to Congress by now. Markus supposed with everything going on with the anti-android groups and the shooting at the Cyberlife Gala, that any news about it was getting buried. That didn’t make sense though, that if anything would have been all over the news. Still, Markus was unsure of how much he should tell her of the events going on. While Markus trusted her, he didn’t trust the people around her. He had no idea who was in Mr.Seymore’s pocket. 

“Markus!” 

Markus turned to see Simon standing back in the lobby his eyes concerned. Markus felt his stomach drop. “What’s the matter, Simon?” 

“You need to come to look at the news right now, you won’t believe what Cyberlife is doing.”

Oh fuck. 

***

Sunday, 7:30 AM 

Connor had decided after he had cleaned Elijah up to watch him sleep. Connor had done it quite often by this point. In the hospital after Elijah had been shot, and in his hotel room when Connor had first been tasked with protecting him. Each of those times he had been watching him for different reasons, and he always felt like he was being creepy. However, now he didn’t feel that way at all. Now, Connor felt like he was indulging in a treat that he had been denied. 

Elijah was very open while he slept. He still managed to seem like he was judging you, but he was... softer about it. Like he was almost teasing you...tempting you. Connor brushed Elijah’s hair from his face as he looked him, marveling at the few grey hairs randomly running through the dark brown locks. He took in all of his features. Connor found himself liking the slight beard that he was growing, given that he had not had time to properly shave. Connor relished that he was able to see him in such an open way. He relished that Elijah allowed him to. Connor was so very happy that Elijah had accepted him fully. If Connor was being truly honest with himself, he didn’t know what he was going to do if Elijah rejected him. He didn’t think that he would do anything crazy, however, Connor didn’t think that he would ever fully recover. 

Connor shook his head. He didn’t need to think about what if’s. He and Elijah were together now and that was all that mattered.

When it had reached a reasonable time, Connor had stopped watching Elijah and had tried calling Hank. His phone immediately went to voice mail. Connor was confused, Hank was always up at 6:00 AM unless he had been drinking the night before. It was very unlike him not to answer his phone, especially when Connor was calling. Connor tried not to dwell on it for too long. Hank COULD have been drinking the night before, or he could already be at the station and just be bogged down with work. Connor’s fingers twitched nervously, he bit the inside of his lip. There were many logical reasons as to why Hank wouldn’t answer his phone, Connor was just overreacting. He would give it a few minutes and then try again. 

Connor blinked as Elijah shifted next to him. His eyelids fluttered and he yawned, he reached up and rubbed one eye. He shifted and turned to face Connor.

“What time is it?” He asked, his voice slightly rough, he was still very much tired.

Connor quickly checked.“It’s 7:45 AM.” 

Elijah groaned a running his hands down his face. “Fuck, it’s still too early, and I felt like I got no sleep. Can it just be nighttime again?”

Connor smiled despite himself. Not having to sleep was a perk of being an android. It was still good to shut down, to give their processor some time to rest, however, sleep wasn’t needed. 

“Unfortunately, that’s not possible Elijah.” Elijah snorted, softly hitting him on the shoulder, turning over fully in the bed to look at him. 

“I was joking Connor, we need to work on your sense of humor.”

Connor gave a small smile, he reached out and brushed some of Elijah’s stray hairs behind his ear. “I was joking as well Elijah.”

Elijah rolled his eyes. “Maybe I should work on MY sense of humor.” Elijah looked Connor over for a good second. “What’s bothering you, Connor?”

Connor felt himself feeling warm that Elijah had noticed that something was wrong with him. Yet, he shouldn’t be surprised, even before...this... Elijah had been able to easily read him. “Nothing really, I’m just being paranoid. I called Hank and he didn’t answer the phone.” 

Elijah nodded, he looked like he was trying to hold back another yawn. “Did you call him again?”

Connor shook his head. “I was going to, but I decided to give it a few moments. Sometimes he drinks and doesn’t answer the phone right away, he could also be at the station. There is a good chance that he simply decided to go in early.” 

Elijah played with the slight curl of Connor’s hair. “You don’t sound too sure about that last part.” He remarked. 

Because Connor wasn’t sure. He had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Elijah caressed his cheek.

“Connor, call him again if you’re that worried.” He said. Connor wanted to wait, but he did as suggested. Connor waited and waited while the phone rang before he was sent to voice mail. Connor hung up frustrated. He frowned. He couldn’t jump to conclusions. There were explanations, many logical ones. He didn’t need to start panicking. 

Elijah shifted next to him, sitting up to lean on one arm. “Do you want to go look for him?” He suggested. 

Connor wanted to, but he assured himself that he was just being paranoid. Cyberlife had no reason to go after Hank. Connor had done his very best to make sure that he wasn’t involved. As far as Cyberlife knew, Connor wasn’t even working with him anymore. No one really knew that Hank was involved with Jericho like he was. No one but the police station knew–

Connor froze. He remembered Fortune’s words. High ranking members of the police were Mr.Seymore’s best customers. Fortune could have meant any police force from any city, but what if the DPD were involved. It would make sense. Fortune had said that many of the missing androids cases had gone ignored for a reason. However, if that was true, why would Captain Fowler give him the cases in the first place if he was working for Cyberlife. Connor hated to say it, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility that he was, they honestly couldn’t trust anyone outside of Jericho right now.

“Connor, if you want to go look for him I won’t mind. I’m as safe as I can be here, and I’m sure you can handle yourself. I mean, even though we parked his car a block away, the place was still pretty remote. A quick scan of his license plate and they can figure out who the car belongs to. The fact that it hadn’t moved can’t be a big help either.”

Connor felt his core freeze. In the rush of everything, he had forgotten Hank’s car! How could he have done something so stupid! It was like asking for a target to be placed on Hank’s back! He had to go make sure he was okay! Connor quickly kissed Elijah on the lips, before climbing over him and off the bed to grab his clothes. He quickly placed them on before turning to face Elijah, he was up and redressing as well. The man was pulling his hair back, his hair tie hanging out his mouth. 

“I–“

Elijah raised a hand to stop him. He pulled the hair tie out of his mouth and began to tie his hair. “You don’t have to explain yourself, Connor. He’s like family to you, Cyberlife will no doubt use that against you.” Elijah’s eyes were soft. “I’ll still be here when you get back...just make sure you come back.”

Connor found himself smiling. He nodded and unlocked the door to rush out. He jerked to s sudden stop as he almost ran into Josh. 

“Connor!” He exclaimed. He had his hands up as though he was prepared to catch Connor in order to stop them from toppling over. Connor paused, Josh would only be there if he was looking for him. Why would he be looking for him?

“Yes, Josh.” Connor tried not to sound impatient, but his mind was moving a mile a minute, thinking up more horrible scenarios about Hank per second.

Josh glanced in the room and startled to see Elijah in the room only in his boxers. Josh’s cheeks lightly colored blue and he glanced away trying to look anywhere but at them. 

“Um, Connor you’re needed downstairs Markus asked me to find you.” 

Connor blinked. He couldn’t think of anything that Markus could need him for at the moment. “I’m in a hurry, I think that Hank might need me right now. Can it wait?” 

Josh lips twisted in a frown. “I don’t think so, Connor. Markus already had to stop an attempted homicide, between North and three humans. One particular rude one is saying that he’ll only speak with you.” 

Connor furrowed his brow. That had to be Gavin. Why on earth would he want to speak with just Connor? Connor couldn’t fathom it, and if he was being honest, he really didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say. He could only take so much of Gavin in a day, and he wasn’t fully recuperated from yesterday yet. Connor fidgeted. Could Hank wait? He could be in danger at this very moment. Then again he could be perfectly fine, and Connor was just being paranoid. Connor sighed, either way, he was going to have to wait for a cab to get there because he forgot Hank’s fucking car!

“Okay. Please take me to them.” Connor said while he called for a cab. 

After Elijah had quickly finished redressing, they made their way down to the lobby. Luckily Connors hadn’t chosen a room that was too many floors up. Connor felt his hands fidgeting at his side. Well, if this wasn’t the best way to start the day. It seemed that they couldn’t catch a break. Connor jumped slightly when he felt a hand gently touch his. He felt a pointer finger wrap around his pinky. Connor glanced to Elijah who wasn’t looking at him trying to feign an air of innocence. Connor smiled. He felt himself relaxing slightly. 

“Connor, while we’re here... I just want to say that I’m sorry about all those things I said. I didn’t mean them you know.”

Connor honestly wasn’t even upset about the accusations anymore. “It’s alright Josh,” Connor said simply.

“Yeah, okay...um, cool,” Josh said awkwardly turning to face the elevator doors. Connor found himself smiling. Connor thought HE was awkward. The elevator finally slowed and came to a stop. Connor stepped off and followed Josh, he tried to keep his pace quick to stress the urgency that he needed to leave. 

Instead of going to the meeting room like Connor thought they would be, they went to the break room. Connor, Josh, and Elijah walked in to see; Markus, Simon, North, as well as the child Ethan, Detective Reed, and Captain Allen all in the room staring up at the TV on the wall. They all looked incredibly worried but no one looked more so than Markus. 

“Markus? Connor called out just as the news anchorwoman spoke again. 

“...again this just in breaking news the newly appointed CEO of Cyberlife Philip Seymore has come out with a statement, saying that Cyberlife fully supports androids and their cause for freedom. CEO Philip Seymore has also said that Cyberlife is willing to do whatever is necessary to support their androids in their cause. He has also mentioned the that Cyberlife will be releasing a new model in their newest line by the name of RK900. He says that Cyberlife wishes to assist the police and help begin integrating androids into the workforce. Cyberlife has already sold 200,000 units to the military and sent multiple units to the Detroit Police Department and the Detroit Police Department’s SWAT..."

Connor blinked...What the fuck. 

None of that made sense. Why would Cyberlife suddenly say that they’re supporting androids and their cause? Everything they have done, all the evidence they had against them, completely contradicted this move. Why create a virus to control and kidnap hundreds of androids, if you were going to put on the front that you support them? Why would Philip Seymore create an android trafficking ring? He obviously didn’t care about the well being of androids. Something wasn’t sitting right about this. Connor wasn’t sure if their actions last night had forced Philip Seymore’s hand into reacting. Connor wasn’t sure, but he knew for a fact that Cyberlife was planning to do something, and it was going to be soon if they were going public. 

The question was, what were they doing?

Connor couldn’t piece it together. 

Markus turned down the TV, he turned to face everyone in the room scratching the back of his head. “I honestly don’t know what to say about this. It’s obvious that Cyberlife is planning something.” 

Connor bit the inside of his cheek. He turned to face Gavin. 

“Detective Reed, I was told that you wished to speak to me about something.” The Detective rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah dipshit, It’s about what you just heard! I got the email an hour ago, we’re all to report to the station for a debriefing to ‘accept’ these androids into the force. Along with that, apparently, there’s a peaceful protest about androids that’s suppose to be taking place this Wednesday. Cyberlife’s CEO Philip Seymore has specifically requested that all members of the DPD be present to ensure that the event goes unhindered from rowdy anti-android protestors.”

Connor nodded. Well, there it was, whatever was going to happen was going to happen that day. Connor's fingers fidgeted. With no idea of what Philip Seymore was planning, there was no way for them to create a plan to stop it. They couldn’t go to anyone about it either, there was no telling who was working with Mr.Seymore. 

“Shit! I wish Fortune was here to tell us what to do.” Markus groaned. Connor turned to Elijah when he scoffed in disbelief.

“Was Fortune around three months ago to help you during the revolution? No, he wasn’t. You all had to make decisions on your own, well, now it’s time to do that again. As big of a help as Fortune is, he’s not in the picture right now. There isn’t anything strong enough around here to hold him in his entirety, and I’m not going to be able to have anything that intricate built by Wednesday. Whatever it is that Philip’s planning, we’re going to have to figure out how to stop it on our own.” 

As much as Connor hated to admit it, Elijah was right. They had come to rely on Fortune too much. They needed to think for themselves now.

Markus sighed. “I need to contact the President and see if I can get a meeting with her before Wednesday.” Markus raised an eyebrow at Elijah as the creator shook his head. 

“Do you have a different suggestion Mr.Kasmki?” Markus asked. 

Elijah nodded. “Yes. I do agree that we need to go to the President. However, I don’t think we should contact her at all. Philip is no doubt going to have every call coming in and out of the city monitored, he’s not going to take any chances right now. I suggest that you Markus, Simon, and Ethan, tonight, get in a car and just drive to Washington. There shouldn’t be any knowledge that you’re coming. Then, and only then when you’re in Washington, I suggest that you contact the President. By the time that Philip can react it will be too late.” 

Connor nodded, that made sense and seemed safe. It was as solid of a plan that they had, given that it was short notice. Connor couldn’t really think of any risks, if Mr.Seymore didn’t know that they were leaving then there was nothing he could do to stop them. 

“I think it will work.” Connor agreed. 

Markus didn’t look so sure. “What about you two, and Fortune, and them?” Markus gestured to Captain Allen and Detective Reed. 

“We have to stay here. Regardless of if our jobs are being possibly being controlled by that crazy fucker, we’re still DPD, and it looks like we’re going to be needed.” Captain Allen spoke.

Elijah nodded. “Yes. I also think that Connor would be better suited here. Also, I don’t think traveling with Fortune on you is a good idea on the off chance that something goes wrong. He’ll stay here with me and Connor and I’ll focus on creating a system or body that can properly host him.”

Markus seemed to be thinking about this for a moment later before he nodded. “Alright. That seems like the best course of action right now.”

Connor nodded. Now that, that was out of the way, though it didn’t help with his stress he needed to see to Hank.

“Okay. I need to go see Hank, if everything is fine then I will be back here later before you leave.”Connor said.

Markus glanced at him, his brows knitting together. “If everything is fine? Is something wrong Connor?”

Connor frowned. “I think I may be overreacting, but Hank isn’t picking up his phone. I’m worried about him. There are multiple possible and logical reasons that he isn’t picking up, however, after last nights events and this announcement from Cyberlife, I’m not so sure.” 

Markus was looking just as stressed as Connor felt right now. “Alright Connor, be careful and let us know as soon as possible if he’s okay.” Connor nodded and turned and left the room. 

He got a message that his cab had arrived just as soon as he got to the front doors. 

“Connor.”

Connor turned to see Elijah. The creator walked up to Connor and held out a gun. Connor stared at it for a moment before he gently took it from him. 

“Just in case Connor. I honestly hoped that you were overacting, but with Philip pulling a move like this I’m not so sure about things either.” 

Connor nodded and holstered the gun. “I honestly hope I’m overreacting. I’m just going to go check his house, and if he’s not there I’ll check the station... if he’s not there then I’ll call you guys and we’ll figure out what to do.” Connor honestly hoped that it didn’t go that far. Connor hoped that Hank was just passed out from drinking too much, and was not answering his calls. God, Connor hoped so. 

Elijah nodded. He seemed to debate with himself for a moment before he came to a decision. He quickly bent up on his toes and gently kissed Connor on the lips. He pulled away looking slightly embarrassed, although Connor felt insanely warm. 

“Promise me you’ll be careful Connor. I would prefer not to fix any more bullet wounds in you because you feel like being heroic and selfless.” The man was teasing Connor, his tone trying to come across as slightly indifferent, but Connor could hear the fondness and worry anyway. 

It brought a smile to his face. “I will Elijah, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, what is Cyberlife planning! OmO This move is really unexpected and where is Hank why isn't he answering his phone... is Connor just over-reacting?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter, even if it was on the shorter side. It's funny how quickly this story is drawing to a close. I can't believe I made it this far and I'm not tired yet! \\(^w^)/
> 
> You guys already know by now from my endless gushing in every chapter about how thankful I am about all your comments and support. I'll spare you of the overbearingly(disgusting)emotional praise, (which I'm saving for the last chapter xD) and simply say thank you so much!<33333333
> 
> I hope you guys have a lovely weekend and as all always I'll see you next week!<333333


	24. Chapter 24: A Race Against Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darling! 
> 
> We're back for another week of updates. I excited (and slightly sad to say) with this update, there are officially only six more chapters until the story is completed. *screams internally* I can' believe I made it this far, and I'm so very excited to reach the finish line!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! <33333

Sunday, 8:30 AM 

Markus shifted as his mind booted back up. He took a moment to come to himself. He opened his eyes and blinked to find Mr.Kamski standing over him. The creator looked very tired, dark circles heavily prevalent under his eyes. Markus could understand how he must have been feeling on a personal level. Even though he technically couldn’t be tired. Even so, Markus knew that was more of his mental state than anything.

The creator rubbed a hand over his eyes. He looked like he was trying to hold back a yawn. “Model RK200. State your name.”

“My name is Markus.” 

Mr.Kamski nodded. He walked back over the computer he was using and quickly typed in a command. Markus inhaled as he felt his code being invaded. Manual diagnostics never felt good, Markus didn’t think he would ever get used to them. He honestly hoped he wouldn’t need to do them constantly. After Connor had left to check on Lieutenant Anderson, Markus had approached Mr.Kamski about the pain in his head he had noticed when he tried to contact North. Mr.Kasmki quickly escorted him to the diagnostic room to look him over. 

“I think I’ve fixed the problem.” Mr.Kamski started. “Your processor was slightly overheating and burning out some of its wiring. Luckily it didn’t burn out anything too important that would have shut you down. However, the burnt out wire would have messed with your basic functions. That’s likely the reason why you couldn’t connect to North even though she was in such a close range. Your processor might be behaving this way because it hasn’t ever been used on such a high scale before. Despite being so highly advanced you weren’t necessarily meant to be used like this, so I didn’t think burn out would be an issue when creating you. I’ve given you stronger wiring, so it shouldn’t happen again. I’m just running another diagnostic to ensure I didn’t accidentally fuck up given how tired I am.” 

Markus nodded, then he had a curious thought. “Why is this happening now and not when I had Fortune within me? Wouldn’t hosting Fortune have caused my processor to overheat sooner?” 

Mr.Kamski shrugged. “Fortune was more than likely equally disrupting the power that you both of you needed to share so that you didn’t overload. Since he’s no longer doing it for you, you're running everything at the same time. Before Fortune you just needed to run your code and your processor automatically regulated everything itself, however, now with the upgrades he’s given you, you’re constantly self-updating your system and downloading new information ALL the time. Think of it like a computer, if you don’t defrag it will just continue to store information and slow down. You haven’t learned to optimize your processor to ONLY use the functions you need at the time, so your system is overworking itself, thus your processor is overheating.”

Markus frowned. That made sense... but it also brought to Markus’s attention just how much Fortune was doing for him without him even knowing it. It made Markus feel even more terrible for how he treated him in the ‘Zen Garden’. Even though Fortune told him it was alright, he really needed to find some way to make it up to him when they found some way to properly host him.

Speaking of which. “Mr.Kamski, how exactly are you planning to host Fortune?”

The creator rubbed both of his hands down his face, this time accompanied by a long sigh. “I don’t fucking know Markus. I could create him a body to be hosted in. However, that would take me a fucking long time, especially considering the type of neural processor he needs. You weren’t just created overnight, Markus. In fact, you took me a long fucking time to make. The other option is to just create another computer that can host him temporarily but he’d be able to speak with us at least. My laptop can hold his code but he can’t work properly within it without frying it. The latter option will take a lot less time to do since most of what I need is already here in the facility.” 

Mr.Kamski didn’t look like he was really paying attention to what he was saying. His eyes kept drifting away, and it was obvious that he was thinking and worried about something else as he spoke. Markus had a good idea about what that ‘something else’ was. Markus had noticed that something had changed between Connor and the creator. The love bites the man was sporting on his neck was an obvious giveaway as well.

“You’re worried about Connor, aren’t you Mr.Kamski?” 

The man shifted in his seat. He wouldn’t look at Markus for a moment before he sighed. “Am I being that obvious?” 

Markus found himself smiling. “...Not really, but I know that look. You’re worried about someone you love.” 

Mr.Kamski snorted. “How do you know it’s Connor? I could just be thinking about all of you. There is a lot of shit going on with my androids right now.” Markus rolled his eyes, he pointed to the side of his own neck gesturing with his head to Mr.Kamski’s biggest love bite.

“That’s a bit of a dead give away.” Mr.Kasmki reached up and covered that offending tell-tale mark, showing Markus that he knew exactly what he was talking about. There was a slight flush of color to the creator's cheeks.

“Although, it is nice to know that you care about us on some level of affection.” Markus continued.

Mr.Kamski shoulder’s drooped, a frown forming on his face. “I care for all of my androids, Markus... I always hated how they were treated. But what could I say... the creator of androids who guaranteed humanity that his creations had no feelings upset that they were being treated like garbage.” Mr.Kamski rolled his eyes. “You can imagine how that would have gone over. Humanity hates any and everything that they don’t understand. If it threatens their superiority then they destroy it.”

Mr.Kamski paused. His brows furrowed in deep thought. “ Humanity is so very fragile Markus. It can be manipulated and unraveled so easily. There have been many wars and hatred over so many stupid things like race, religion, sexuality, drugs. I created androids because I wanted you all to help humanity along. You were all simply meant to help make the world a better place. I was so hopeful that you all would. However, I suppose it was naive of me to assume that you all wouldn’t be used for nefarious purposes. My naivety has put so many of you in danger and gotten so many of you killed. I don’t necessarily think of any of my androids as my children, but I am the reason that you all exist. You all didn’t ask to be created and treated like this. So I do feel like it’s a responsibility of mine to try and right the wrongs done to you. I apologize on behalf of my race for everything that had been done to you all...and for myself. I abandoned all of you when I should have just been brave enough to stand up to Cyberlife... now look at where that’s led. I promise... I won’t abandon you all again.” 

Markus couldn’t help but stare at his creator with a small amount of awe. It hadn’t fully registered in Markus’s head that the man was human, too many of them he was their God. He had to have been to have created them all. The creator was so VERY brilliant, and Markus honestly respected him a great deal. However, his incredible intelligence pushed aside, he had always given Markus the impression of a slightly closed door. Open enough to allow you to peek inside, yet still shielding the majority of the room. To hear Mr.Kamski apologizing to him on behalf of all humans who have wronged androids, showed Markus just how much humanity the man himself had. Markus at that moment realized, that this man wasn’t a God. He was just a normal human being.

“You... can’t blame yourself for the actions of some of your kind Mr.Kamski. Nor can you blame yourself for retreating from the world, you lost a great deal to Cyberlife, and they’ve proven themselves to be a terrible enemy.”Markus said. 

Mr.Kamski laughed softly. “Yes, they have. Still, it’s impossible for me not to feel some type of regret Markus. The only difference between then and now is, there was nothing that I could have done about it all those years ago. However, NOW I can do something about it and I defiantly intend to. It wouldn’t be possible without all you have done and sacrificed Markus. Cyberlife has taken way too much from me and others for far to long, and I intend to get even and put a stop them.”

Markus frowned given the man words some thought. “I... do want to say Mr.Kamski that I am truly sorry about your android Chloe, and...about Jason Graff. They didn’t deserve what happened to them. I have only felt loss once --when I lost Carl-- I couldn’t imagine losing multiple people I love. No one deserves to go through that pain.” 

Mr.Kamski sighed, a bitter smile forming on his lips. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Trust me, I’ve been well versed in that type of pain for a long time Markus. However... you’re right one shouldn’t have to experience it so much. So thank you, Markus, your condolences are appreciated.” 

Markus wanted to ask him what he meant by that confession. There was so much that he didn’t know about the man. Markus found himself curious about him, especially now that he knew he had created him. Still, Markus knew his boundaries. He knew better than to try and re-open any old scars the man may have, so he decided to move back into familiar territory.

“Soooo...you and Connor huh?” Markus’s voice was teasing and Mr.Kamski recognized that. He raised an eyebrow, his cheeks coloring again in embarrassment.

“What about him?” Mr.Kamski asked, his voice stressed. He sounded like he really didn’t want to be talking about this. Markus thought it was almost endearing to see him so embarrassed. The creator was always so sure and confident of himself. It cemented the humanity within him.

Markus smiled. “Nothing. I’m happy for you both. Connor has had a...tough time adjusting to emotion and his life since he deviated from Cyberlife. He was so used to be told what to do, that when he didn’t have that anymore, he didn’t know what to do with himself. It’s like that for many androids, but they would always try to find a new purpose. Connor...closed himself off. It was like in his mind Cyberlife was his only reason for existing, and because he didn’t have that any longer, he felt like he didn’t have a reason to exist. I’m glad to see him opening up and coming out of that mindset... It’s almost like he’s found a purpose again.” 

Mr.Kamski was silent for a moment as he took in Markus’s words. “Honestly...I’m happy for him as well. You know, not just because I get to sleep with him again, but he’s so much more different than he was all those years ago. Back then he was much more confident of himself, but I did notice the change in him that you mentioned. When we first met again, he held onto to the fact that he wasn’t a deviant even though the evidence clearly suggested he was. He pushed the idea away so hard like he COULDN’T accept the fact about himself. Connor’s so much harder to read now then he used to be. I was worried for a good moment that he didn’t think of me in such a way at all anymore.” 

Markus raised a curious eyebrow. “So you were interested in Connor back when I questioned you about it?”

Mr.Kamski smirked. “More like threatened me if I ever hurt him?” Markus blinked, he wouldn’t deny that. 

“Of course I was interested in him then.” Mr.Kamski continued.“I had multiple plans labeled from A to Z on how to get his pants again.” Markus felt his face flush. He really didn’t want to think of Connor in such a way, it was bad enough that the evidence of Mr.Kamski getting in his pants was displayed for the world to see.

Mr.Kamski just smiled devilishly in amusement, but he continued on.“I observed him at first. However, after seeing how he was, I knew I had to be careful with how I approached him. As much as I hate to say it, Chloe shooting me is probably what got us here as quick as we did. I dropped multiple hints about our past together, mostly to see if there was still some part of his old self in there. A lot of the time if an androids memory is hard reset, seeing or hearing familiar things can sometimes reboot it. Though at the time, I didn’t know that he had self-destructed, and most of his brain had been destroyed and rebuilt.” Mr.Kamski frowned. 

“It quickly became apparent to me that there was nothing there anymore. So I had to come to terms that the relationship we had was gone. I had to try to get to know this new Connor and see if I wanted to still be with him. I questioned myself often. I wondered if I was actually feeling love for him as he is now, or if I was simply holding onto the past. However, I think it was after I was asked to fix you for the first time. I realized then that I would love him even if he didn’t remember me. There was always something about Connor that drew me to him. He never failed to hold my interest. He never failed to disappoint me. He never failed... to make me smile. He always, even now, made me feel like I was important and that I didn’t need to hide who I was in front of him. I never thought I would see him again after he was taken. However, I suppose our souls are drawn to each other.” Mr.Kamski paused, his cheeks coloring again as he realized what he said. 

“I-I mean–“

Markus smiled and took pity on the man. “I’m glad that you two found each other again Mr.Kamski. You both deserve to be happy.”

Mr.Kasmki looked really uncomfortable and relieved when the computer signaled it’s completion. “Okay, enough of that sappy shit. From what I can see everything is working properly, how about you try giving someone in the facility a call just to make sure.” 

Markus nodded and did as told his mind automatically going to one person.

“Markus. I’m assuming that Mr.Kamski was able to fix you?” Simon’s voice asked, loud and clear, and there was no pain at all. 

“Yes. It would seem so.” 

Simon hummed. “Well, if you’re done could you come to the lobby? Captain Allen and Detective Reed are preparing to leave.” 

“I will be down momentarily.” 

Simon hummed again before ending the call. Markus looked back to Mr.Kamski. 

“Everything is working accordingly Mr. Kamski. Thank you... not just for this... but for everything that you’ve done for us.” Markus meant it. They never would have gotten this far if it wasn’t for the creator.

“Well, if you truly want to thank me...you can start by not calling me Mr.Kamski anymore.” 

Markus laughed. “If you insist Mr--...Elijah.”

Mr.Kam– no...Elijah smiled, he stood and unhooked Markus. “You’re welcome, Markus. Now get out of here, you have a trip to prepare for. Also to answer your earlier question... yes I am worried about Connor. However, I trust that he can handle himself.”

Markus knew that Connor could. He also knew how self-sacrificing Connor could be and Cyberlife was unpredictable. Markus didn’t want to know how Mr–...Elijah would react if Connor ended up getting himself killed. Markus didn’t want to know how HE would react. Markus hoped that everything was alright with the Lieutenant. 

He couldn’t let that worry him right now. He had way too many things he had to focus on.

Markus walked into the Lobby to find Captain Allen, Detective Reed, Simon, and Ethan waiting on him. The Captain was kneeling down in front of the too small boy. He handed the boy a phone. 

“Here, this is my backup phone I normally use for work, I put my personal number in it. You call me if you get in trouble.” The boy timidly took the phone, he looked it over with no small amount of curiosity. The Captain tilted the boys head up to look at him. 

“Remember, you call me if you need help. Do you understand?” The boy nodded. Markus noticed that the most he had ever heard the boy speak were when they first met and that hadn’t been a lot.

The Captain nodded. He looked up, his expression once again stern as he looked at Markus and Simon. “You keep this boy safe do you understand?

Simon placed his hands on the boy's shoulder’s and pulled him close. “I promise we will.” 

Markus knew without a doubt that Simon wouldn’t let anything happen to that child if he could help it. Markus knew that he wouldn’t as well. Cyberlife had already taken so much from this boy, Markus wouldn’t allow them to take his life as well. At least not without a fight. And Markus was more than ready to fight.

“We will do everything in our power and beyond to ensure that he remains safe. What are you two going to do?”

Detective Reed rolled his eyes. “What else do you think we’re going to do? We’re going to fucking go to work. We can’t just ignore our jobs just because this Seymore fucker may have a few people in his pocket.”

Markus frowned. He knew that was true, yet, Markus was sure that The CEO more than likely knew that they had been at the warehouse. Connor told him that his model automatically uploaded all information it learned to Cyberlife before he deviated that is. There was no guarantee that the model they had faced didn’t do the same, it obviously didn’t die when they shot it. That was very worrying, Markus had ever heard of an android being shot so many times and still getting up like it was nothing.

“Just... be careful while you’re there. Cyberlife is being very blatant, there’s no telling what they’ll do to keep things quiet.” 

Captain Allen shrugged. “I guess we’ll fucking see when we get there. But I trust my team, if shit breaks out, then you can guarantee that we’ll fight out damn hardest against it.” 

Markus paused for a moment as he looked over the two men. “I just want to say... thank you for being willing to help us. I can tell that you both don’t have the most favorable opinion of androids, yet, you’re still willing to help. It’s greatly appreciated.”

The Captain grimaced. “Look, I’m going to be honest. I still don’t fucking trust the lot of you. I’ve seen to much bad shit involving androids in the last few months to just fucking start trusting you all. I stood by helplessly as I watched your fucking model hold a little girl hostage and threatened to jump off a 70 story building with her.” 

Markus frowned as he glanced at Simon who looked uncomfortable. Markus remembered seeing that on the news with Carl. That case was one of the biggest reasons the PL600 models were being discontinued.

“But I also realize that the only reason that little girl is alive is because of an android. My men and I would have never been able to get to her without Connor. I still don’t know if I’ll ever be comfortable with the idea that you guys are... people, but I know right from fucking wrong... and what Cyberlife is doing to you is wrong. What they’ve done to this kid is wrong, and as long as you all are in this city it’s our job to fucking protect you. So that’s what we intend to do.”

Detective Reed snorted. “Very inspiring Allen.” He said clapping sarcastically. 

“Fuck off Gavin, I can’t fucking stand you! Why do I put up with you?!” The Captain grumbled. 

Detective Reed snorted again.“You fucking know why.” The tone in which the Detective spoke those words, was so very suggestive and obvious, that Markus suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Markus had a feeling about the context of their relationship, but now that he knew his hunch was true, he severely wished that he didn’t know at all. 

“Well... we have to go prepare for the trip,” Markus said awkwardly. 

The Detective rolled his eyes, a condescending smirk on his face. “Awww look, I think I’ve made the androids uncomfortable. Though from what I can tell, it’s not like it doesn’t understand what sex is--” The Captain grabbed the detective by what Markus was sure was his injured shoulder. 

“Ow, you fucker–“

“Come on you little shit! You are so fucking terrible!”

Markus shook his head in exasperation because he had no idea why they worked but they did. Markus turned to look at the child who was looking over the phone awkwardly. Markus frowned, the boy looked like he didn’t even know what the phone was. Or he had just never held one in hands before. That seemed more logical. If Markus was honest, he hadn’t either since he himself was technically a phone. 

Markus noticed something was different about the boy. “You got a haircut didn’t you Ethan?” The boy looked up at him with wide and curious eyes. His lips formed into a small smile, and he nodded. Markus found himself feeling warmth at the innocence in his eyes. Despite all that he seemingly had been through Markus wondered if it was no less of a miracle that he remained so innocent. 

“Indeed he did. I took care of all those nasty little mattes.” Simon said running his hands through the freshly cut hair. “Although he struggled endlessly,” Simon said pinching the boy cheek, who laughed and pulled away from the pinch.

“The extra clothes we have are a way to big for him, but I sent another android out to buy some things for him for the trip and just in general. They’re also renting the car for us to use for tonight.” 

Markus gave Simon a small grin. Simon seemed to be right in his element, taking care of children. Ethan held up the phone for Simon to see. “How do you turn this on?” He asked.

Simon took to phone and gently swiped the screen, it immediately turned on. The boy made a delighted sound, excitedly gesturing for the phone back. He grabbed it, his grin wide on his face. He looked back at Simon. “Can I go sit over there and play with it.” 

Simon nodded. “Sure, just be careful. Remember it’s Captain Allen’s.” The boy nodded enthusiastically and walked over to one of the chairs in the lobby.

Markus walked next to Simon, wrapping an arm around his waist as they observed the boy. 

“I feel like my heart is aching every time I look at him, Markus. How could anyone treat a child in such a way?” Simon asked. 

Markus frowned because he honestly didn’t know. Markus couldn’t figure anything about Philip Seymore out. He obviously wasn’t a nice man considering all the things that he had done. However, Markus felt himself wondering just why the CEO had kept the boy around in the first place. Fortune was more than capable of running things for him. He didn’t need to the boy to process orders. Once the boy created the virus then there was no reason to keep him around anymore. So just why did Mr.Seymore keep him alive? Could it have been his conscience? Markus doubted that since he obviously had the boy’s brother killed, and the things the man had done to Simon. 

“He’s very innocent despite everything that he’s been through. He seems almost...childlike considering his age.” Markus noted. 

Simon gravely nodded. “It’s a mindset that children who have been put in situations such as his develope. I very much doubt that he had much human interaction as he grew older, other than his brother possibly, and so his mind never developed properly past the child stage. He’s smart though Markus, you should have heard all the things that he was telling me about coding. I still have NO idea what he was talking about.” 

Markus looked over the boy as he played with the phone. Markus felt rage simmering within him as he took in his stature. He was FAR too small for his age. Even though Markus wasn’t designed to take care of children, nursing was apart of his core programming, and he recognized mal-nutrition.

“Will he be alright?” Markus asked. 

Simon shrugged. “I honestly don’t know Markus. I’m programmed to know how to deal with children who exhibit his behavior, on the off chance that I needed to care of one. I’m honestly surprised that it’s not more severe. He’ll need a lot of therapy and it could help, but there’s no telling if he’ll ever grow out of it.”

They were both silent as they watched the boy.

Simon sighed. “Are you as scared as I am Markus?” 

Markus wanted to be strong, and tell him that he wasn’t afraid. That he knew everything would work out. But Markus was done with lying to himself. He was done with being strong all the time. He finally realized that he didn’t have to be. He took what Simon had told him to heart, and acknowledge that he didn’t have to carry everything alone. Markus reached for Simons' hand, their skin receding automatically as they touched. Markus closed his eyes.

“I am scared Simon, I’m just going to be honest about that. I have no idea what’s going to happen and that frightens me. It feels like we’re racing towards an inevitable conclusion and...I’m scared of what that conclusion will be. I don’t want to fail our people.” Markus felt Simon comfort him through their connection. He rested his head against Markus’s shoulder. 

“Markus... no matter what happens, I want you to know that your people love you. I’m trusting that the President can get us out of this situation, but if she can’t I want you to know that you didn’t fail us. If we don’t make it out of this alive, then our people will know that it wasn’t because you didn’t try to fight for them. You didn’t fail us Markus... humanity did.”

Markus rested his head against Simon’s and took a deep breath. Markus always had to make the hard decisions. As he held Simon and looked over that child, he knew that he would have to do everything in his power to ensure that they made it to the President. Simon had the evidence against Cyberlife in his memories, and the boy was living proof of their cruelty. While Markus was wanted by Cyberlife for his technology, and Fortune currently indisposed, Simon and Ethan were the actual threats to them and everything they have built. Markus knew the both of them had to survive no matter what. 

Markus had given Connor the task of making sure the Mr–Elijah had been protected at all cost, as much as Markus hated to place that task on him. Although Connor had heavily agreed, for he had his own reasons he didn’t want to see the creator dead. Now Markus had to promise to do the same for Simon and this boy. He had to protect them, even if it cost him his life.

The fate of their people was relying on this trip tonight. Markus knew without a doubt that this long fight was about to come to an end. The only thing in question was, who was going to come out as the winner.

Markus re-closed his eyes, sending out an actual prayer for the first time in his life.“Carl...I know that you’ve been looking over me all this time... but I’ve never needed you more than I need you now. Please Carl...watch over us and ensure that we can get through this.”

With the prayer completed, Markus came to accept the reality of the situation. 

All he could do now was wait.

***

Sunday, 9:00 AM

It had taken a lot longer for Connor to get to Hank’s house than it normally did. Traffic had been backed up for miles thanks to the still rioting protestors all over the city. The wait did nothing to help against his anxiety. He was rolling his coin deftly in his fingers, while he waited for traffic to move. A lot of police were out. 

Connor wondered what the anti-android group thought of Cyberlife’s announcement. He couldn’t imagine that they were happy. Connor still couldn’t piece together how they had gotten involved with a man like Philip Seymore, to begin with. 

The CEO didn’t have a favorable opinion of androids, he must have used their mutual dislike to his advantage. Still, Connor couldn’t imagine one willingly give up their life because they disliked androids. The shooter at the Gala had to have known that they weren’t going to make it out of the building alive. Up until that point, the anti-group hadn’t really caused that much of an issue. There were a few attacks against androids, and they also often disturbed the peace, however, they weren’t actively labeling themselves as a terrorist group in which they have now been named. 

That had also struck Connor as odd. There hadn’t been that many cases of deadly attacks against androids. All the cases that he had come across from the recent months were simple harassments. Connor assumed that the bill the President had put in place had something to do with that. So most of the group had only been willing to cause issues for androids, but they weren’t keen on going to jail for hurting them. 

All of that contradicted the events at the Gala. Why would the group suddenly turn violent like this? It was possible that they had just been working themselves up to behave in this way. Yet, that seemed highly unlikely as well. The timing of it was far too perfect. Philip Seymore was somehow behind the change of the group, but how and why? None of it made sense. What was this man doing?

Connor breathed a sigh of relief as the car finally made it through traffic and took the exit off the interstate. It should take him no more than ten minutes to get to Hank’s house now. Connor felt his anxiety rising the closer that he got to the house. He hoped that everything was alright and that he was just overreacting. If it was true and Hank was simply passed out from drinking too much, Connor was going to be severely pissed.

Connor’s thirium pump was beating at an incredibly fast pace as the car pulled to a stop in front of the familiar house. Connor felt like his stomach had dropped as he saw Sumo outside sniffing around. Hank never let Sumo go out on his own and when he did it was in the backyard only. Though the dog was very tame and wouldn’t hurt anyone, he was overly excitable and tended to jump on people. Humans seemed to find that very unpleasing.

Connor got out the car, feeling like a lump was in this throat. “Sumo,” Connor called, the dog perked up at hearing his name and tilted his head in confusion. Why would he be confused to see Connor, he should be overjoyed to see him after so long. Unless...oh no. 

Connor rushed to the steps of the house, to find the door ajar. OH NO. Connor pulled out his gun, and slowly opened the door the rest of the way. He felt like he was going to pass out at the sight presented to him. The house was a mess. Furniture was turned over, there was broken glass everywhere, and little drops of blood on the floor. A struggle had defiantly happened. 

Connor walked farther into the room and looked over the evidence presented to him. After he had given everything a good look over, he reconstructed the scene. It had to have happened last night. Hank had started out of the couch until he looked up at the door. Connor assumed that someone was knocking or had rung the doorbell. He got up and answered but as soon as he opened the door he was knocked backward by someone with incredible strength. Hank had stumbled backward unable to catch his balance, before falling over on the couch. He knocked the lamp on the side table over causing it to crash against the floor as he tried to recenter himself. Hank had tried to retaliate, reaching for his gun but it was easily knocked out of his hands. Hank was picked up by the front of his shirt and thrown against the couch causing it to flip over. Hank retreated into the kitchen, to try and find some way to defend himself, knocking over chairs as he tried to slow his attacker. But it was no use, and the attacker quickly and efficiently disarmed him of the knife he grabbed. Connor felt his stomach tense as the knife was turned on Hank, stabbing him in his shoulder, explaining the blood that Connor found. Connor followed the rest of the altercation according to the evidence until it reached the room at the end of the hallway. 

It was an unused room, one that Connor believed used to be Cole’s. Connor had never been in there. He had no reason to be, and Connor wished to respect Hank’s boundaries and his deceased son so he had never asked to enter. The door was ajar, however, and Hank always left it close. 

Connor pushed the door open to find Hank tied up in the chair. His mouth was bound preventing him from speaking. Hanks’s eyes widened as he saw him, he began gesturing as much as he could with his bound figure. Connor noticed he had a bruise under his left eye, and he had dried blood trailing down from his brow. 

“Hank!” Connor froze as Hank began wildly gesturing with his head behind him. Connor quickly turned around only to catch barely a glimpse of his own face before he was kicked right below his sternum, the hit accurately hitting his thirium pump. Connor fell back into the room and groaned. He didn’t feel the pain of the kick, but being hit in his thirium pump made him feel like he had been winded. 

Connor winced and quickly tried to recover, he pointed his gun at the new model of himself, managing to get off one shot off and hitting him in the chest before the gun was kicked out of his hand. Connor wouldn’t let that stop him, he got up and punched at the bigger version of himself, only for it to be easily countered. The RK900 model grabbed his shoulders and kneed him yet again in his pump. He threw Connor to the ground, placing a foot on his chest to keep him in place. 

“RK800. I’ve been ordered to take you in alive, however, I have been given permission to neutralize you if you refuse to cooperate. Concede now. I won’t go easy on you if you don’t.” The RK900 model spoke, his voice calm and collected, as though he wasn’t kicking Connor’s ass. 

Perhaps Connor had spent far too much time with Hank because the only response he could think of was. “Fuck you, you cheap wannabe copy of me!” Connor kicked his leg up hitting the bigger model in the back, it threw him off balance momentarily his foot coming off Connor, and Connor was able to wrap his leg around the model’s own, causing his knee to buckle and for him to fall to the ground. Connor quickly kicked him away and scrambled for his gun, but a hand grabbed his leg and dragged him backward. He was flipped over onto his back and his waist was straddled one leg on left arm keeping it in place. Connor tried to in vain to do something with his free arm, but the model grabbed it and with a solid twist jammed the joints into place.

Connor’s arms fell to the floor, useless. Connor looked up at the perfect copy of his face, the only difference being this model had blue eyes. They reminded him of Elijah’s eyes color. 

“I warned you predecessor.” The RK900 model said, pulling out his own gun. He pressed the barrel against Connor’s head. His cool blue eyes steady, determined, and lifeless... nowhere near like Elijah’s...

Elijah...fuck...no... he couldn’t die here... not when they had just...

The model’s finger twitched on the trigger, about to deliver the killing blow when he paused. 

His left eye twitching slightly and his LED going yellow.

“Mission accomplished. Targets captured.” The RK900 model removed the gun from Connor’s head. He looked down at Connor with cold eyes. 

“Consider yourself lucky, predecessor. You’re only alive because Cyberlife wants you to be.” He pressed the LED on the side of Connor’s head. 

Connors vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah...that just happened! xD 
> 
> Elijah: I'm absolutely sure Connor can handle himself.  
> Connor: *Proceeds to get his ass all kinds of handed to him*  
> Me: Come on Connor, quit failing all your QTE's!
> 
> I'm honestly so freaking excited that I can't even think of anything to say here! I can't wait to reveal the rest of the story to you guys that's for sure! I'll spare you all of a gushy 'thank you' (since I'm going to go OFF in the last chapter xD) and just say, thank you to everyone who's stuck with me through this crazy story! I can't wait to finish it with you all!<333333333333


	25. Chapter 25: Hostage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darling! I come bearing another chapter for you guys!
> 
> Enjoy! ;3

Sunday, 9:00 PM 

Markus had tried for what felt like the hundredth time to contact Connor. Again, just like every time before, he received no answer. Markus’s artificial insides felt like they were in knots and he felt anxiety hit him like a truck. If Markus could vomit, he was sure he would have. Markus and Simon had wanted to leave with Ethan around 7 PM so they could get to Washington by early morning. There would be less traffic, and less of a chance of people seeing his face and recognizing him. However, as the day quickly went by and they still heard nothing from Connor they delayed the trip for a short while. Now Markus, Simon, and Ethan were standing in the lobby dressed and ready to go. Elijah, North, and Josh were there as well, anxiously waiting by the front doors, hoping by some miracle that Connor and the Lieutenant would come through them.

Markus frowned deeply as he ended the call. He sighed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head.“He’s not picking up.”

Elijah ran his hands down his face. He groaned in frustration. “God fucking dammit! I fucking knew that he shouldn’t have gone alone! How could we be so stupid as to let him go alone!”

“Cyberlife has to have him,” Markus said gravely. 

“Who the fuck else would have him Markus, Santa Clause?!” The creator yelled. 

Markus narrowed his eyes at the man. He knew that Elijah was upset, but Markus was also very worried and the man’s sarcastic, cynical, attitude wasn’t going to help any. “Calm down Elijah, please.” Markus bit out.

“Even if someone had gone with Connor there is no guarantee that would have come back alive, or just be captured themselves. We also don’t know if Cyberlife has him for certain, it’s a strong possibility, but there is still a chance that they don’t.”Markus knew that he was talking bullshit just to keep Elijah calm, which the man no doubt knew. Cyberlife had to have Connor, there was no other reason why he wouldn’t pick up their calls or contact them.

The creator took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to snap.” 

Markus nodded. “I know you aren’t. You’re worried, we all are, but, we have to think as clearly as we can right now. Should we delay the trip and call Captain Allen and Detective Reed?”

Elijah shook his head. “It couldn’t hurt to give them a heads up, but we shouldn’t delay the trip. I’ll give them a call so that Philip won’t be able to track you guys while you’re on the road. You guys now, more than ever, need to get to Washington.”

Markus bit back a sigh. Although Markus defended the decision not to send anyone with Connor, he still couldn’t help but feel regret for NOT sending anyone with him. Perhaps he didn’t because he was certain the Connor could handle himself. Connor had gotten himself in worse situations before and made it out alive. Even so, he truly didn’t think the situation through. Cyberlife knew the main reason Connor started to go deviant was because of his relationship with the Lieutenant. It made perfect sense that they would set a trap for him, using the man. This entire situation was truly a mistake on Markus’s part. Markus could only hope that Connor would be alright until they got to Washington. Fortune said that Cyberlife wanted them all alive...so Markus was going to have to rely on that information for now.

Markus turned to North and Josh. “Alright. North, Josh, while we’re gone you both are in charge. Please try not to argue, and if Connor calls or anything goes wrong give me a call as soon as you can.” 

North and Josh looked just as worried as he was. They both despite the previous grievances they projected towards him, cared for Connor in some way. Plus it wasn’t easy suddenly having the pressure of your peoples lives in your hands. 

“Okay, we’ll take care of everything Markus. Please be careful and... please come back.” North said, her voice softer than Markus had ever heard it. He was truly proud of how far she had come, from the first day they had met.

They all hugged each other as a group. Markus even pulled in Elijah who looked extremely uncomfortable during the whole thing.

“Okay... that’s enough of that. You three should get on the road, it’s still a long a trip and you’ve delayed it long enough.” Elijah said, pulling his way out of the hug, and standing awkwardly to the side. Markus looked him over. There was something defiantly on his mind, and Markus was worried about what he was thinking.

Markus turned to Simon, he gestured toward Ethan. “Go ahead and get him in the car, I need to speak with Elijah for a moment.” Simon nodded, raising an eyebrow in curiosity before he escorted the boy out the door. 

Markus dismissed Josh and North with a nod of his head and turned back to the creator. “Elijah... I know the urge to do something against Cyberlife will be strong but–“ 

Elijah held a hand to stop him.“I’m worried about Connor Markus make no mistake, but I know better than to do anything stupid or crazy. Give me some credit, being in love doesn’t suddenly make me a fool.”

Markus looked at the creator earnestly. “I know how smart you are Elijah. However, love can make you want to do crazy things regardless.”

Elijah sighed and crossed his arms. “Trust me, Markus. I know how to pick my battles. Fortune said that Cyberlife wanted us all alive, so if they do have Connor there is a good chance that he is alive... for now at least.”

Markus gauged the creator for a moment. He needed to bring something up, but he didn’t know how Elijah was going to react. Markus himself didn’t want to consider the possibility.

“Elijah, on the off chance that Connor does show up... and he’s not himself–“ 

Elijah turned from his sharply. “I’ve already considered the possibility Markus.” He said, his voice tense.

Elijah closed his eyes. “If it comes down to it... I’m willing to allow what would need to be done to happen. I love Connor...but the fate of your people is...more important.” Elijah’s voice was thick with emotion as he spoke.

“It’s...what he would want.” Elijah finished. Markus hated to put these type of thoughts in Elijah’s head, but the creator wasn’t dumb. He had long been ahead of Markus, in this type of thinking. Markus didn’t even want to know what it was like to be put in this situation.

Markus rested a hand on his shoulder, hoping to give him some comfort.“I...honestly don’t know what to say.”

Elijah patted his hand with his own, his face pulled into a small detached smile. “Just get to Washington Markus. Do whatever it takes to make sure they get to Washington.”

Markus could tell from the tone of his voice and his usage of the word ‘they’, what he was implying. Elijah, after all, wasn’t a dumb man. Markus nodded. 

“Hold strong Elijah.” 

The creator nodded. He looked so tired. “You as well Markus.” 

Markus sighed as he got in the driver's seat. Simon and Ethan were seated and waiting. Ethan was still playing around on the phone he was given, he was buckled up snugly behind Markus. Markus raised an eyebrow at him, his clothes were a better fit considering what he had been wearing. However, Markus couldn’t help but feel that Simon was being a little overprotective about how many layers he had on. It was wasn’t that cold out. Markus shook his head. He’d let Simon do as he please, he knew more about children than Markus did. Markus figured the boy would fall asleep soon, it was getting pretty late. 

Simon was looking at him, his eyes worried. “Is everything alright Markus?” He asked, gesturing his head to the doors of the facility.

Markus nodded. “Yes, just a last minute discussion with Elijah.” 

Simon hummed. “You...don’t think he’s going to do anything stupid do you?” 

Markus shook his head no. Well... he at least hoped he wouldn’t. Markus was being completely honest when he said that love would make you do some crazy things. Markus thought back to when he was forced to leave Simon on the roof. It was like the logical thinking part of his brain, and his heart wouldn’t sync up. Markus had considered doing some REALLY stupid things. Still, Markus trusted Mr.Kamski, he was always the most level-headed out of all of them the moment he had joined their little family.

“I brought it up...and I don’t think he will. I also don’t think he’s going to get much sleep tonight... especially if Connor doesn’t end up showing up. There is always the hopeful off chance that Connor just isn’t answering his calls.”Markus was frowning as he spoke.

Simon looked at Markus. “You don’t believe that any more than he does.” He spoke gravely.

“Honestly...no. I just hope Connor can hold out till we get to the President.” 

Simon hummed in thought, leaning back in his seat. “Poor Mr.Kamski...I couldn’t imagine... he just looks so tired.”

Markus agreed. “He is tired, Simon. Hell, we’re all are. Let’s go, we have a long drive ahead of us.” Markus said, putting the car in drive and driving towards the main gate.

The first hour of the drive, there hadn’t really been any talking. There had been the occasional noise of Ethan moving around, but other than that, they were all content in remaining silent. 

The second hour of the drive, Simon had turned on the radio. He flipped through the stations. Most of them were reporting news about the protestors or about Cyberlife. Markus really didn’t want to hear anything about either of them at the moment, not when he was so worried about Connor. Eventually, Simon found a nice contemporary station and Markus relaxed a small bit as the soft singing and pleasant melody floated through the car.

The third hour of the drive Ethan had to use the bathroom, and so Markus stopped at a gas station. Markus had topped off the gas in the car while he waited for Simon to get back. The night was pleasant, he was able to read the temperature in the air. Spring was quickly approaching, so it was chilly but it wasn’t too cold. What was left of the white ice covering the ground was turning into dirty slush now. Markus was a lot jumpier, he felt like everyone who was at the gas station at that time of night was watching him. Markus hoped he was just being paranoid.

The fourth hour of the trip was uneventful until Ethan yelled out suddenly, scaring the shit out of Markus, he almost slammed on the brakes. 

Simon too looked like he had been startled. “Ethan what wrong?!”

“Sorry, my character died on the game I downloaded.”

Markus took a deep breath, his thirium pump still beating wildly. “Okay. Just... don’t yell out like that when someone’s driving.”

“Okay. I’m sorry. I just never had something like this. Uncle Philip never let me have anything other than comic books and those were on paper.” 

Markus blinked. Wait...what? He glanced up into the rear-view mirror at the boy whose attention was still on the phone. 

“Uncle Philip? You’re talking about Mr.Seymore right...you call him Uncle Phillip?” Markus asked. 

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, that’s what he always told me to call him. I don’t like him much though... he’s an ass.” 

Simon shifted. He frowned as he looked in the mirror of the boy. “Honey, you really shouldn’t use language like that.” 

“It’s true though,” Markus commented. 

Simon glared at him. “Markus...”

Markus shrugged. “What, he’s an ass.”

Simon hit him on his arm. “Markus!”

Markus glanced between Simon and the road. “If he wants to call him an ass he should have full rights to. He’s been an ass to him!”

Simon groaned and rubbed his hands down his face. “Oh my god Markus, you are not being helpful right now! He shouldn’t be using language like that at all, he’s a kid!

“Why can’t I say ass?” Ethan asked.

Simon looked beside himself. He glared at Markus, for encouraging the bad language. “It’s a bad word, honey.”

Ethan tilted his head curiously. “A bad word... what’s that?”

Simon looked like he really didn’t want to be explaining this. “A bad word is a very vulgar usage of language, people usually use them to express themselves in an...colorful way.” 

Ethan chewed his lip in thought. “I hear the word fuck a lot for no reason...if fuck a bad word?”

Markus held back laughter, his shoulder’s shaking as Simon nearly freaked out. “It’s not funny Markus! Yes, Ethan, that is a very bad word, probably the worst one! You shouldn’t say it!”

Ethan shrugged. “Uncle Philip would say it a lot. Also, my brother would say it sometimes before Uncle Philip took him away for a while. He never did come back the last time he took him... Fortune always just said that he was no longer among us. Where do you think he is, do you think that anyone could find him like I was found?”

Markus felt like his stomach had dropped out of his stomach. He glanced at Simon, all the amusement he felt falling from his face. Simon was looking at him with just as much horror.

Markus swallowed, his throat feeling thick. Markus couldn’t bring himself to tell the boy the truth. He imagined that Fortune couldn’t either.“Fortune was right, he... isn’t among us any longer. He’s in a place that’s a.... whole lot better. Um... I think you’ll see him again one day. Not soon, but...one day you will see him again.”

Markus felt his heart nearly stop as he heard the boy sniffed. Markus was nearly tempted to pull over the car when he saw tears falling from the boy's eyes. 

“Ethan–“

“I already figured out he was dead... I just wanted to see if you would tell me the truth.”

Markus bit his lip...what was he suppose to say. 

“Ethan–“ 

The boy turned away from him and towards his window, he hid his face as quiet sobs made their way out of him. Markus bit his lip briefly closing his eyes, before opening them back up to look at the road. 

They didn’t say anything for the rest of the hour.

The fifth hour came around and they were nearing Pittsburgh. Ethan had fallen asleep. Markus had turned down the radio so that they could just barely hear it. Markus and Simon had ended up holding hands interfacing, while Ethan slept. Neither really wanted to speak, but instead took comfort in each other this way. Markus was still very much worried, they still hadn’t heard anything from the group about Connor. Markus was tempted to call and ask, but he knew that they needed to keep contact to a minimum until they reached Washington. He would have to wait for them to call him.

They were about 45 minutes from the city and driving through a little forest area when Markus checked the rearview mirror. There was a black car behind them. Markus at first didn’t think anything of the car, they could have just been fellow travelers, but Markus didn’t get a good feeling about it. It was much larger than theirs, and all the windows were tinted black, so he couldn’t see inside. Markus did a little experiment accelerating on the gas a bit, just to see what the car would do. Simon looked to him in question but Markus kept his gaze on the car behind them, and just like he thought the car sped up with him.

“Simon... I think we’re being followed.” 

Simon looked up in the rearview mirror and took in a sharp intake of breath. “Oh no, you think it’s Cyberlife?”

Markus opened his mouth to speak when Simon yelled; “Markus watch out!” Markus didn’t have time to react as another car suddenly pulled out from the side of the road. It rammed into the side of their car spinning them out of control. Markus tried to gain back control, but the force of the hit cause them to go off the side of the road, crashing through many of the smaller trees in the forest before it finally crashed head-on into a thick fallen over one. Markus jerked forward his face hitting the steering wheel hard. He was glad he was android, otherwise, he would have been knocked out.

Markus breathed out and curse, knocking down most of his air-bag, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car wiping some blood from his brow as he went. He opened the back door on his side, to pull Ethan out of the car. The boy looked shaken, and he had a trail of blood falling over his left eye, he must have hit his head, but otherwise, he looked okay. 

“Ethan! Talk to me, are you alright?!” The boy’s eyes were wide and frightened, but he seemed to register what was being said to him. He nodded. Markus quickly got up pulling him along and went to Simon’s side.

“Simon!” Markus’s heart was beating rapidly. Simon’s door was badly damaged having taken the brunt of the hit. He managed to pull it open, but Simon was unconscious. Markus unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled him out of the car. 

Simon remained limp in his arms.“Simon please, you have to wake up! We’re in trouble, and we have to go! Please!” 

Markus’s head jerked up as heard voices in the forest.“Remember, he wants Markus alive no matter what! The other two are preferable alive, but if you have permission to kill them if need be!”

“Fuck! Simon, baby, please! Wake up!” Markus grabbed his hand receding his skin, trying to connect with him. He probed him, but he received no response.

He heard the voices getting closer. “SIMON, WAKE UP!” Markus pushed the connection as hard as he could, screaming the words in his mind. 

Simon jerked, his eyes popping open. He was breathing heavily as he came to himself. 

“Markus!” 

Markus didn’t have time to feel relieved before a voice made him freeze! “Don’t fucking move!” Markus looked up to see a what he believed was a human male standing before him, with a handgun pointed right at his head. Markus glanced at his attire, he was dressed somewhat like a military soldier, but Markus couldn’t be sure if he was one. Ethan was cowering behind him and Simon had his hands up.

Markus slowly raised his hands. The man kept his gun pointed on Markus. 

“I found them guys, over–“ Markus lunged at him, catching him off guard and knocking him off balance. The soldier stumbled back and tried to retaliate, but Markus’s reflexes were faster. He managed to grab the hand and move it just to the side away from his head as the soldier fired. Markus twisted the man's hand wrangling the gun from his grip. Markus kicked him in the stomach knocking him to the ground, before turning the gun on him and shooting him in the head. The man fell limp, dead. 

Markus froze. He stared at the man, whose blood was now starting to stain the ground. Holy fuck... he just did that didn’t he? He’s just killed a man. Markus had never killed anyone before...

Markus’s stress levels were high, he felt like he was going to pass out. He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Markus! Markus, we have to go!” Simon urged, tugging on his shoulder. 

“I-I killed him...”

Simon grabbed his face in both of his hands. “Markus... look at me okay.” Markus managed to turn his gaze away from the dead man and focus on Simon. 

“It was either him or one us...do you understand? You had to do it.” Simon was begging him to come to himself with his eyes. 

Markus swallowed and nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Simon nodded slowly with him. “Okay... let’s go. We have to get away from here.”

Markus nodded. He refused to look at the body. Simon grabbed Ethan’s hand and as they turned to retreat deeper into the forest, just as shots began flying at them. Markus maneuvered Simon and Ethan in front of him, trying to cover them from the incoming fire as much as he could as they retreated.

“They killed one us, take em’ down!”

“What fuck are you doing?! He wants Markus alive!”

“He killed one of us!”

“Follow fucking orders! If you want revenge, kill one of the other two we can explain away their deaths!” 

The shock of his first kill quickly wore away and was replaced with a protective urge and boiling rage. His hands tighten on the gun. Markus, Simon, and Ethan ran deeper into the forest until they were a good ways away and they could no longer hear the soldiers so close to them. Markus knew that they still searching through the forest for them. They only had so much time.

They stopped and hid behind and large fallen over tree so that Ethan could catch his breath. Markus looked around trying to access their options. He could call for help, but by the time anyone got to them, it would be too late. Markus looked over the gun in his hand. It was a Colt .45 pistol. They could take their chances and try to make it to the city. Markus was a lot more accurate of a shot than any human. However, he only had this clip, and Markus knew that they were outnumbered. If they managed to get caught and cornered, they were done for. Markus knew that they needed him alive, but Simon and Ethan were expendable. Markus closed his eyes, he already knew what he needed to do to get them out of this situation, the hard part was going to be convincing Simon.

“Markus...how did they know where we were going?! How did they find us?!” Simon asked, gently rubbing Ethan’s back as the boy still tried to catch his breath. 

“The only way they could have known was if someone close to us told them. Jericho had been compromised, Simon.” Markus said as he continued to look around the area.

“But who’s compromised?!”

Markus shrugged. “It had to be another android. Or it could be Captain Allen or Detective Reed. I very much doubt that it would be Mr.Kamski.” 

“Shit!” Simon looked around over the log, the men were getting closer. “We have to keep moving, we’re not that far from the city, maybe we can get there and get some help. I don’t think they would be crazy enough to openly attack us so publicly.”

Markus took a deep breath and looked at him. He was holding Ethan close, who looked beyond scared. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“You’re right. We’re not that far, it will take you longer on foot but you can get there if you move as quick as you can.” Markus grabbed Simon’s arm and connected with him sharing needed information.

“Here’s the President’s number, once you reach the city, you call her right away. If she doesn’t pick up you keep calling, don’t stop until she answers.” Markus went to remove his grasp, but Simon grabbed his wrist tightly. 

“Why are you talking like you’re not coming with us?” Simon’s voice was tight and fierce. 

Markus reached out and caressed his face. “I can buy you time Simon–“

“Markus. No.”

Markus gazed away from Simon, he couldn’t look at him. Markus knew he wouldn’t be able to go through with this if he saw his face.“They won’t kill me, Simon, they need me alive! But you... they’ll kill you. I can’t let that happen!”

“Markus I said no!”

“Think about Ethan Simon–“

“I. Won’t. Leave. You!” Simon bit out fiercely.

“You have to!”Markus still couldn’t look at him. 

“Markus...I-I can’t–“

“If you don’t... you’ll die!” Markus couldn’t resist anymore, he looked up into Simon’s face and felt his heartbreak. Tears were streaming down his face. Markus felt his own eyes well up... but he had to stay strong. 

Markus sniffed. “ I won’t be able to go on if you die. Please, Simon... make this easy for me.” He whispered. 

Simon bit his lip. He closed his eyes causing more tears to fall. He leaned forward and kissed Markus on the lips. Markus kissed back, trying to pour as much emotion as he could into the kiss. Markus pulled back, they didn’t have much time before the men caught up with them. Simon rested his forehead on Markus’s. 

“I love you.”

Markus put on the best smile that he could muster. “I love you too, Simon.” Markus got up and glanced over the log, he could hear the men getting closer, but it looked like they still had a few more minutes. He walked over and bent down in front of Ethan. The boy was crying as well. Markus smiled at him as bravely as he could. 

“Hey, I need you to do me a big favor. I need you to stay strong and make sure that Simon in protected. C-can you do that for me?” Ethan sniffed. He wiped his cheeks and pulled Markus into a hug. 

“Yes.” Markus smiled and hugged him back. 

“Thank you, Ethan. Y-you have to go now.” Ethan tightened his grip and Markus had to physically remove him. He pushed him towards Simon, who couldn’t look at him. 

“Go on Simon.” 

Simon hesitated before he grabbed Ethan’s hand and they continued on into the forest. Markus took a deep breath in and exhaled as he watched them go. He blinked a few tears falling from his eyes. He turned around to face the incoming men. This was going to end one of two ways. He tightened his grip on the gun and raised it steadily. 

Cyberlife picked the fight, and now Markus was going to finish it.

Markus fired as the first man came into view.

***

Monday, 2:00 PM

Connor’s eyes popped open as he was rather suddenly turned back on. Connor blinked as his eyes adjusted to the bright white of the room. He tried to move but quickly realized that he was strapped down, hanging from what he could assume was a table. Connor was dazed and confused when suddenly all the events came rushing back to him. He jerked against his bonds, but they strongly kept him in place. 

“Wakey, wakey Buttercup! You’re feisty aren’t ya’? Struggling is pointless, you’re not going anywhere.” Connor’s head jerked up to see Philip Seymore standing in front of him, a condescending smirk on his face, a cigarette hanging between his fingers. 

“Never thought you would be in this position Connor. Strapped up like all the other failures. You were so brilliant, and could have done so many amazing things for this world...such a waste.” The overly large man was frowning as he looked at Connor.

Connor realized that he was in a diagnostic room, he could only assume that they were at Cyberlife. Connor kept his face as calm as he could. 

“Where is Hank?” Connor demanded. 

The large man waved him off, rolling his eyes.“He’s still alive if that’s whatcha askin’...for now at least. I’ll take care of him later, right now I just need him out the way.” 

The man inhaled some of the cigarette blowing out smoke as he gazed at Connor. “Ya’ know, it really takes a lot to piss me off. I had every fuckin’ thing planned out, down to the last detail, and all it took was a mishap of timing on your part to fuckin’ screw it all up. Even with your ‘re-programing’, you just couldn’t stay away from him huh?” 

Connor blinked. “You’re talking about Elijah. He was the first step in enacting your plan. You wanted Chloe to kill him, but I happened to be there that day and managed to save him.”

The CEO took another puff of the cigarette, he looked at it, uninterested in Connor’s deduction. “That’s riiiiight. If you hadn’t fuckin’ been there, Chloe would have made the whole thing look like a tragic accident. Someone found and broke into the creator's house to rob him, things went south, and he died tragically. It was perfect! People would have mourned him and no one would have been the wiser. But you fucked it up Connor like you fucked everything up since!”

Connor felt like his blood was boiling, he glared at the man. “Why did you want Elijah dead?” He bit out.

Mr.Seymore shrugged. “It doesn’t take a fuckin genius to realize that he’s a threat. As irritatingly pretentious as he is, he’s a fuckin’ genius, Connor. He could undo everything if he put his mind to it. He was simply collateral damage, and obstacle to take care of on the off chance that he could become a problem.” Connor felt himself lunge forward, the straps being the only thing holding him back. 

Mr. Seymore laughed. “Awwww, offended at the way I’m talking about your boo? You actually look mad. You damn things always were able to imitate human emotion accurately. Jason did his job with that. The only issue was, you things started to think you were actual human beings. You know you had the nerve to tell me that you loved Elijah all those years ago before you fuckin’ self-destructed when we tried to reset you. You even cried, begged that you didn’t want to leave him. I couldn’ fuckin’ believe it, it was so embarrassing. Though I’m not surprised that you wanted a piece of that ass. Elijah’s not bad looking. Everyone wanted a some of that back then. Still not bad looking if I’m honest.” 

Connors' fist tightened so hard he would have thought his knuckles would jam

“Anyway, I digress. Because of you, I had to make some major adjustments to my plan. I had to move things along a lot faster than was originally intended. I had to focus mainly on making sure the RK900 series was ready for release. Then I had to rush to capture that fuckin’ RK200 model. However, that fuckin’ fell through.” The southern man grumbled.

Connor furrowed his brow, none of that explained why the man wanted any of them alive. What reason did he have to capture Connor? Connor knew that he wanted Markus for his tech, and he wanted Simon for his memories, but what about him and Elijah. The man had no need for them. He just said so himself, Elijah was a threat he needed to eliminate, so why did he change his mind? 

Mr.Seymore continued his rant.“And like a game of domino’s everything started falling apart after that after that. Jason started fuckin’ fighting against me more, him and his damn feelings for Elijah, always getting him in trouble. I had to take care of him, which was no easy task.” 

“The Cyberlife Gala,” Connor confirmed. “You were behind the shooter. You didn’t trust Mr.Graff anymore, so you needed him out of the way, but it couldn’t be obvious. So you got the anti-android group involved somehow.” 

Mr.Seymore nodded, throwing his cigarette to the floor and stepping on it. “Mmm-hm. It wasn’t hard to infiltrate them either. Spit out some anti-android bullshit and a sob story about how they stole your job, and you can’t support your family anymore, and they accept you with open arms. A little bit of careful infiltration later, weeding out the extreme radicals with a special hatred for your kind from the casual supporter of the group, and soon I had them under my control. ‘Help me keep these androids from taking over our lives! Cyberlife has gotten out of control. I’m on the inside, I promise that I can stop them, but I need your help!’ they ate it up like fuckin’ sheep. They are just like everyone else, collateral damage, but they’re going to work out perfectly when it’s time to enact everything.”

“The peaceful protest this Wednesday, the RK900 models, the protestors, the androids that you kidnaped, it’s all connected isn’t it?” 

Mr.Seymore pointed a finger gun at him mocking a shot. “Yes and no, but you're close on the ticket. The anti-protestors, our newest models, and the peaceful protest are the only things connected. I took those other androids for another reason. However, Speaking of the protest.” The man pulled a phone out of his pocket, he dialed a number putting it up to his ear. 

“Hi sweetheart, it’s Philip. Yeah, how’s switching around the schedule to do the protest early going?” The man waited. 

“That’s great! So the earliest you can do is tomorrow and 12:00 PM. Well, do ya’ know that fits into my schedule perfectly! You know what, I even spoke to Markus, looks like he’ll be able to show up after all. I know, I can’t wait either! Are we still going to hold it here at Cyberlife right? Good going hun. Well, I’ll let you get back to doing your thing sweetheart, big day ahead of us tomorrow.” With that, the man hung up the phone. 

“What are you planning Seymore? Are you going to attack the protest with the RK900 models, so you ruin any chance that the androids have at gaining their freedom?” Connor really had no idea what this man’s endgame was.

Mr.Seymore confused at Connor. He laughed and shook his head. “Oh, absolutely not! I want androids to be trusted by the public, not disliked. Why do you think I requested that the police force INCLUDING the new models I offered to them-- for free at that-- be present during the protest? I don’t want the public to hate androids. Tomorrow... they’re going to feel for them and by the end of it all they’re going to love them even more.” 

Connor furrowed his brow, what the hell was this man talking about!. Philip Seymore obviously didn’t think of androids as people, so why did he want to public to love them?!

“All of your action contradicts everything you’re saying! What could you possibly hope to gain from wanting androids trusted?!”

“Ah, Ah, ah, that’s for me to know. Number one rule at poker is to never show your hand until you have all the cards you need. All my cards should be falling into my hand right now as we speak, don’t worry though you’re doing all I need you to do right now.” The man walked up to him, he ran a hand down the side of Connors' face. Connor felt his skin crawl.

“It really too bad things had to work out this way. You truly are a really good model Connor, it’s such a waste. I don’t know if you are the bigger waste or Elijah, I hate to have to kill him but I don’t think he’ll give me a choice. But don’t dwell on that too long, we’ll get to that very soon. I have a phone call to make right now. ” The man winked. 

“We’ll talk later Connor.”

Connor’s mind went blank again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is going horribly wrong right now! Philip Snakemore certainly likes to talk a lot,(evil fucker) without actually telling you anything, but like he said everything isn't in place just yet... OmO;;;
> 
> I hope you guy liked it...well as best as you can with all the tension going on! XD (I'm so sorry for the cliff-hanger...)
> 
> I'll be back Saturday as always for another update!
> 
> Thank you for your comments and support my friends!<3333333333333333333333


	26. Chapter 26: The Cyberlife Agenda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! Another chapter is here for you guys!<333
> 
> The only thing I'll say is this chapter is completely from Markus's point of view.
> 
> Enjoy! ;3

Tuesday. 3:00 AM

The first thing that Markus registered as his mind awakened was that his body didn’t feel right. Everything about him felt...off. His limbs were heavy. He couldn’t move. Markus tried to open his eyes, but even they felt like there was a weight keeping them closed. This was strange, he had no control over himself, but he could hear everything going on around him.

“You guys are fuckin’ lucky that my technicians were able to repair it! I told you that it was to come back UNHARMED!”

“Fuck you! He took out ten of our guys before we were able to put him down. He’s lucky we didn’t fucking destroy him beyond recognition! One man was forgivable, but not ten!”

Markus listened carefully. He recognized the voice of Philip Seymore. There was no way he could mistake the way that prick sounded. The other voice he had never heard before. What happened to him? His mind was hazy like it was still booting up.

“You dumb shit, don’t you realize that none of this fuckin’ works without it! All that fuckin’ work I did getting the damn protest switched to tomorrow, and those ten lives you’re so keen about, would have been wasted if IT didn’t FUCKIN’ WORK!

“Fine, but explain something to me you Fucker! When you first approached us you told us that your goal was to remove all androids so the world could fucking restart over without these fucking things! Humans would be able to get their jobs back, and all of this ‘deviant’ shit would go away! You said that you had a perfect plan to do it! You had a way that you could connect to all the androids, and send out a signal that would cause all of them to self-destruct! The only thing was, to make that happen, you needed this fucking RK200 model! It was the only thing that could send out the signal on such a large scale! So please explain this whole supporting android shit your sporting all of a sudden?! And explain to me, why the hell did you make even more fucking androids?! That fucking RK900 model, why the fuck would you make him if you’re trying to remove all androids from existence?!”

“You dumb motherfucker! Guess what dipshit?! Androids are about 2/3rds of our military force! After the whole fucking revolution shit, the military had to accept them back in deviant or not! Destroying all of them suddenly like that, will leave America severely undermanned and ASKING for invasions from other countries! I may have done some morally questioning shit in my life, but I WAS a military man and my goal throughout all of this is not to fuck America over! That’s why I had the RK900 series created, they’re not like these fuckin’ deviants, they’re completely under my control!”

“I don’t give a shit if they’re under your control or not! That’s not what you promised us! You said that you were going to destroy androids COMPLETELY! This is the fucking opposite! You know what, I’m starting to think? I think that you don’t give a shit about us at all! You’re just using us to keep all the fucking blame off you! You got us labeled as fucking terrorist when all we wanted was our fucking jobs back! You want us to attack a peaceful protest, that will no doubt get a bunch of innocent people killed, just so we can storm this fucking tower to put on a show for the cameras! That’s not what we signed up for! We were willing to make a stand at the Gala, but this is fucking crazy?! You must think I’m completely stupid if you think that I believe we’re going to make it out of whatever the fuck you’re doing alive! Fuck this, we’re not going to be apart of whatever sick game you’re playing anymore! I’m telling the group not to follow whatever fucking orders you give tomorrow! Good luck with your plan now, mastermind!”

“I– you know what fuck this! RK900 initiate elimination protocol.” 

Markus felt sick when he heard a gunshot and a body fall to the floor. Markus listened intensely as the sound of the body was slid across the floor.

“Fuck me! I can’t believe that fuckin’ bastard made me kill him! Why of all times now does he choose to ask questions? You see, that’s what I like about you RK900, you just do as you’re told. People would be so much easier to handle if they were like you.” Markus heard the man sigh.

“I should have just sent you in the first fuckin’ place, at least then I wouldn’t have had to waste time having this damn thing fuckin’ repaired! At least then the fuckin’ PL600 model and the kid wouldn’t have escaped. Mmmm, they shouldn’t be an issue, it’ll be too late by the time they’re able to cause any damage.”

To Markus’s surprise, he actually managed to jerk forward at the mention of Simon’s name. He was alive! Even better, he had successfully managed to escape! That made Markus feel so much better about his sacrifice. Markus didn’t remember much about what happened after he had forced them to leave without him. He remembered shooting and fighting men, and then everything went a little hazy.

“The hell, can this fucking thing hear me? It's not supposed to be active yet. RK200 look at me.” 

Markus couldn’t let out a shocked gasp if he wanted to. The only thing he could do was comply with the order that he had been given. Markus opened his eyes to finally face the CEO. He was standing next to a model that looked just like Connor, only he was bigger and his demeanor was much colder. Connor’s replacement. His jacket clearly reading RK900 and splatter with specks of blood. The owner of said blood body was pulled to the side and out the way. Markus didn’t know exactly where they were, but he could tell from the white sterile look of the place, they were at a Cyberlife building. Markus himself was strapped to a table.

“Well, the fucking programmers are good for something, it doesn’t look like they fucked up anything. I think it’s completely under my control. Let’s test it? RK900 Take it down.” Seymore had an amused glint in his eyes. Markus could only panic internally at what the man was going to try to make him do. 

The larger model of Connor walked up to him, unstrapping his bonds. The moment that Markus was free he wanted to fight back, but to Markus’s horror he couldn’t do anything but stand there, obediently waiting for an order. 

What the hell did this man do to him?!

Seymore looked him up and down. “Hmm let’s see. RK200 Give me a lil’ jump.” 

Markus tried his hardest to resist, but his body obeyed the order anyway. 

Seymore smiled. “Ha! Good, take one step forward.” 

Markus did as told. 

“Haha! Perfect!” The CEO looked to the RK900 models, before smirking, he gestured his head at the larger model “Punch RK900.”

Markus walked up to the model and punched him right in the stomach. The model didn’t even flinch. Though his LED did temporarily flash yellow, before switching back to its steady blue. 

Mr.Seymore snorted. “Well, that was a weak ass punch. Come on, put some gusto into it, make it keel over! Hit it!” 

Markus aimed and swung his fist forward with a lot more force. He hit the RK900 model right below his sternum in his thirium pump. The model protectively placed his hand over the area and fell over onto one knee. His LED bright red. 

The CEO laughed loudly. “Fan-fucking-tastic! RK900 get up!” 

The model took a moment before he obediently did as told. His LED flashed from between red and yellow. His face remained perfectly neutral to what was happening between him. Markus felt extremely bad as he looked at the model. The model was just following orders, he didn’t deserve to be treated this way for the amusement of a sick man. Markus wanted to desperately connect with him, to free him, but the frustration set in as he couldn’t do anything!

“Look at that RK200!” Markus turned his attention back to Seymore, his passive face betraying the rage he was feeling. 

The large man walked over to RK900. He condescendingly patted him on his cheek. “That right there, that’s obedience! I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to him, and he wouldn’t say shit! That is what you fuckin’ androids are meant to do!” The man walked up to Markus, placing a hand on his shoulder. He stared down at Markus that ever-present nauseating grin on his face. 

“You see Markus, you’re both a problem and a blessing. The thing is, androids are automatically connected to Cyberlife when they are made. One of the biggest arguments we faced during your whole ‘revolution’ was how come we just didn’t use the deactivation codes you’re all equipped with? What the public doesn’t know, is that once an android goes deviant, it severs the connection with Cyberlife. That’s why deviants are so hard to track down. The biggest issue I had with you was not only were you never connected with Cyberlife, but your fuckin’ ‘self-updating’ system made it extremely hard to tether the virus to affect you.” 

Markus remained perfectly still, but he was freaking out on the inside. How did he know about the self-updating system?! Mr.Kasmki said he destroyed any and all information about his model. The fact that he knew this at all, cemented that Jericho was compromised, but who was working for Cyberlife. Markus couldn’t think of anyone, in particular, acting strangely. Fuck, this entire situation was bad, he had to find a way out of this! Think, think, think...

“My technicians got a good look at your coding while they were repairing you, and so my programmers were able to efficiently update the virus to make it past your coding. I’m told it was tough, you were unlike anything they had ever seen before, but they were able to get it done. Now that you’re under my control nearly everything has fallen into place.” 

Mr.Seymore turned to the RK900 model, he smiled smugly. “Bring them in.” 

RK900 walked out of the room, barely even a moment later he returned with Connor! He was strapped to a movable table, and inactive. The larger model of him was holding a struggling person around the waist, they had a bag over their head. “Let me go you fucker!” 

Markus panicked. He recognized that voice anywhere! 

RK900 released them. They fell to the floor, rather dramatically from having struggled so hard and not expecting to be let go like that. RK900 bent over and forced them on their knees. They struggled but they were no match for the android’s strength. RK900 took the bag off their head and Elijah’s face came into view. He looked terrible. His hair was down a messy, he had a bruise on his cheek, and the corner of his lip was busted. How had they gotten a hold of him?! He hoped to god that he didn’t come looking for Connor! Elijah was smarter than that, but the only other option he could think of was if he had been taken from the facility. It could explain his bruises. But then again he could have gotten them just from fighting back. Markus could tell from the look of this RK900 model that he didn’t want either option. If the facility was attacked, this model didn’t seem the type to show mercy.

Elijah blinked as the bag was removed. He glanced at Markus and at Connor’s inactive form, and then to Seymore. “What the fuck have you done to them?!” Elijah looked like he was ready to murder Seymore. Markus was right there with him.

“Oh my goodness, such feistiness! How are you so certain that I’ve done something to them?” The CEO smiled innocently. 

Elijah glared at the man hotly. He looked terribly frightening, Markus had seen him annoyed before but never truly angry. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a fucking answer!”

Mr.Seymore laughed. “I will give you this Elijah, you always were a stubborn fuck. You never could learn when to just fuckin’ let something go. Just for your peace of mind and to calm your ass down, I didn’t do anything to Connor... yet. I needed you here for that. Speaking of Connor.” The large man walked over to Connor’s form. He pressed the LED on the side of his head, and after a moment Connor jerked awake. He looked around his eyes on everyone before falling to Elijah. 

“Markus! Elijah! Are you alright?!” 

The creator allowed a small smile on his face as he gazed at him. “I’ve...been better Connor.” Elijah shifted his gaze from him to glare to Seymore. 

“I don’t know what it is that you’re planning on doing with them, but it won’t fucking work!” He practically snarled. 

“Looks like it’s working well enough already!” Seymore sighed shaking his head, his grin never leaving his face. “Oh Elijah, you must think me to be a horrible person.” He said as he pulled out a carton of cigarettes.

“Oh I don’t think, I know. I know about all the horrendous thing’s you’ve done Philip! You’ve killed people, you tried to kill me, you kidnaped children and kept them in captivity forcing them to work for you, don’t even get me started on the crimes you’ve committed against androids!” 

Mr.Seymore shrugged as he lit a cigarette, appearing indifferent to the accusations. “I won’t deny my crimes against humans, but androids aren’t people Elijah–“

“Yes, they fucking are! You can deny it all you want, but you can’t fucking tell me that they’re not people Philip!” Elijah yelled. 

Seymore shook his head, breathing in his cigarette before exhaling the smoke through his nose. “Oh Elijah, are you that fucking sprung from that artificial dildo over there, that you can’t see the truth. Androids aren’t fuckin’ alive Elijah! They only simulate human emotion, they can’t actually feel it. I knew already that you were overly fond of your creations, but you and all the fuckin’ people that support them are taking it too damn far. It can walk like a human. It can talk like a human. But in the end, when you take off all that pretty skin and open it up, it’s a fuckin’ machine.”

“If that’s how you feel, why theatrics about Cyberlife supporting androids?!” The creator demanded.

“Because I do support ANDROIDS Elijah. I want the public to love them, it’s in the best interest of them and the company for now. DEVIANTS are another story, their behavior is too erratic, but their human-like behavior and the sympathy they’ve gathered will come in handy for what needs to be done.” 

“What about Fortune, and the fucking android trafficking ring? Fortune said that you loved deviant behavior! You tethered a virus that would keep them under control but they would keep their human behavior, why would you do that if you don’t believe androids are humans?!”

Seymore snorted. “‘Fortune’ as you call it, just happened to be a very convenient program that I could make use of. It simply made everything much, much, easier to distribute. The trafficking ring well, I needed the funds. I didn’t have blackmail on everyone involved. I needed to keep them quiet somehow. As far a deviant behavior, most people don’t want to fuck something that had no emotion on its face. It’s in our human nature to wish to connect to something that shows the same amount of emotion that you portray. Even though I knew that none of the emotions were real, it was still fun to see what I could pull out them.” 

Seymore gestured his head in Markus’s direction. “His pretty little blonde was especially fun.”

Seymore was extremely lucky that Markus couldn’t move. The amount of murderous rage that he was feeling, scared him. Sure Markus was a little shaken by his first kill, however, now he was more than willing to commit the act again. The anger that Markus had felt when he had first learned of Simon’s past returned times ten. This man was EXTREMELY lucky.

Elijah glowered at the man. Markus was going to have to live through him for now to express his anger. “What are you planning Philip?”

“Oh Elijah for somebody being so damn smart, and creating the best damn achievement of humankind, to creating a counter to the most advanced virus in existence, to creating a fuckin’ self-sufficient android, you truly are fuckin’ naive and dumb!”

The creator continued to glare. “How did you know about Markus, about his programming, about them going to Washington?”

Mr.Seymore smirked. “From Connor of course.”

The only reaction that Markus gave was the slightest twitch of his finger. He was beyond shocked. How did he learn this from Connor? Connor couldn’t have been working for Cyberlife! Markus fully and truly believed that with every part of his being! 

Then Markus realized something...he moved his finger slightly! Markus tried again and was shocked when it twitched yet again. He still had some control over his actions! Markus was sure that he could figure some way out of this! This was the time he really wished Fortune was here to guide him. What would Fortune do...what would Fortune do... think Markus...

“What do you mean you learned from me, I’m not connected to Cyberlife anymore?!” Connor looked horrified, and Markus felt for him.

Mr.Seymore threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. He walked up to Connor, looking at him with a disbelieving eyebrow. “Oh yes, the ‘emergency exit’ that Elijah created. Do you truly think that it freed you? You think I was dumb enough to believe that Elijah ‘mysteriously’ and very conveniently left behind information about a program like the ‘Zen Garden? Still, it was a brilliant fuckin’ program, that was too good not to use. So I had it looked over. We molded and changed the AI within it to suit our needs. We found the exit, the only unfortunate part was that we couldn’t remove it without unraveling the whole damn thing, so we were forced to keep it in. Instead, we changed the code, so that if you ever did try to fight us and came across the exit, we would only lose our control over you, but we could still have access your memories. You’ve been quite helpful as of recently Connor. You guys would’ve defiantly gotten the upper hand on us, if not for you.”

Connor looked horrified and completely broken. Markus could only imagine what he was feeling. He had never truly been free. It must have hurt even more than ever, given that North and Josh had accused Connor of working for Cyberlife... and they were right. He was, even if he didn’t know he was. Markus felt for Connor. He had just begun to accept himself as a person. Just to find out that he had only ever been Cyberlife’s pawn. 

Markus gazed at Elijah who was staring at Connor with a look that Markus couldn’t read. He obviously wanted to say something, but he instead turned his attention back to Mr.Seymore. His expression hardened into something that would have given Markus chills.

“Hey Philip Fuckmore, we get it okay. You’ve always been in control!” Elijah’s voice was sarcastic and mocking as he spoke. It took Seymore’s attention away from Connor. “You never answered my fucking question, what the hell are you planning with my androids?!

Mr.Seymore rolled his eyes, he knelt down in front of Elijah. “Elijah... you have the most amazing fuckin’ mind I’ve ever seen. I’m fully aware that you know that. You create the biggest and greatest achievement known to man, and what do you use them for? Nursing, caretaking, teaching, fuckin’ gardening. Androids are smarter, faster, stronger, and just by far superior to humans in every way and you decide to use them for mundane shit like that. Such an absolute waste.” The CEO paused, clearly lost in thought. 

“What do you know about me, Elijah?”

Elijah spit in his face instead of answering. The large man closed his eyes wiping his face as he sighed. 

“Well, I know all about you. Elijah Kamski, founder of Cyberlife and creator of androids. The twice voted man of the century who achieved so much at a very young age. But what about the Elijah before that? Nobody knows about the young boy who watched his mother be brutally beaten to death by a fuckin’ junkie trying to rob her. Yet, the junkie only made it off with 3 bucks because Elijah Kamski’s mother was on her way to the ATM before dropping her son off to kindergarten. What happened to that junkie Elijah?” Elijah didn’t answer him. Markus was numb as he listened, he doubted that anyone knew this about the creator. Connor was looking at him with just as much horror and shock.

“That’s right. Nothing. Police just said that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They could have done something about it if they wanted to, but they didn’t, they had way too many cases like that already on their plate. Nobody knows about the young boy who’s father fell into alcoholism afterward, and blamed the small helpless child for his wife’s death. Police were called often about a young child screaming at the top of his lungs, ‘I think he’s being abused!’ but no ever did show up did they?” Elijah again didn’t answer him. 

“No, they didn’t. They got cases like that all the fucking time, your call just fell right in with all the others. However, Elijah Kamski decided one day when he was eight, that he didn’t have to take this anymore. So he left that abusive fuckup of household and decided that scraping on the streets was a much better option than being beat within an inch of their life every day. No one paid attention to another young boy on the street, he was one of many in the cesspool Detroit was. You were lucky Elijah, you came across a kind caring man who saw something in you, other boys weren’t so lucky, and the rest was history.” Elijah shifted his cold blue eyes on the man.

“What are you getting at? He snarled

Mr.Seymore smiled, it wasn’t snake-like or condescending it was actually sad and genuine. “ I was actually apart of the military Elijah. That part of my resume was real. I did know Amanda as well–“

“Don’t you fucking mention her name!

The man continued like he hadn’t been interrupted. “–however, that was for a different reason. My position in the military wasn’t a conventional one. I was basically the person they called when they needed to get shit done. You wouldn’t believe the type of shit that I’ve seen Elijah. The things that I was made to do. I had one solace though... their names were Lilian and Elisa. My wife and daughter. They were the only thing that made life worth living. I just knew that humanity was doomed to fail, but as far as I was concerned they were the only things that were saving it.” Seymore closed his eyes, a certain type of pain falling over his face.

“I should have fucking known that my work in the military would have caught up with me. I was so fucking good at my job I made enemies. In 2017 those enemies kidnaped and slaughter my wife and daughter. It was on that day when I couldn’t even be shown their bodies because they were mutilated so badly, that I knew that there had to be a change in this horrific world. This world wasn’t going to make it like it was, and you can’t wait around for change to come, you have to make it happen yourself. Luckily for me, change came from a young bright-eyed naive young man, who wanted programmers for the androids he was creating.” 

Mr.Seymore reached forward and placed his hand on Elijah’s thigh, Elijah snarled his lips in disgust. “Think about it, Elijah. What if there was a world without crime? No war, no terrorist, no drugs, no murder, no child abuse, none of that horrific shit. You with your androids can create that peace Elijah if you program them to. I’ve already proven that it can work. Those androids that I took, I tested the whole thing with them. I had them reprogrammed with the same functions and abilities of RK900 here. However, the only issue was, the whole deviancy thing made the military skeptical. I had to prove that they could be kept under control, thus the reason for the virus. The military has already used them in multiple strikes, they’ve wiped out over 100 different terrorist rings, broken up drug trades, freed thousands of poor people from human trafficking. Think of what could be done if we refocus the goal of Cyberlife and it’s androids from the stupid fuckin’ mundane things they are now, to peacekeepers for the world. We can protect the humans from themselves, and enforce the law, getting rid of all the scum that scourge this planet. That way humanity can finally prosper in the way that it’s meant to. No one would ever have to worry about losing their families again.”

Markus felt physically sick. He... he didn’t know what to think...

Elijah blinked at the man. “So let me get this straight, you want to use my androids to create killer machines, so you can go through the world and attempt to wipe out all crime?”

Mr.Seymore nodded. “It’s a little more complicated than that, but that’s the basic gist of it.” 

Elijah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You... are FUCKING insane if you think something like that is going to work! You saw how America reacted when androids started showing free will! You’re either crazy or delusional if you think that humans are just going to sit by and let androids sweep over the damn world killing all who YOU deem necessary. You want to stop war but all you’re going to do is fucking start one!” 

“Well that’s the issue, isn’t it? I’ve already thought about that, Elijah. For my plan to work people have to trust androids and Cyberlife again. This whole deviant thing makes them and us untrustworthy. Plus the public is far too supportive of deviants, I won’t be able to just get rid of them, so I’m going to use them to my advantage. RK200 here is going to fix that whole issue with my virus. The androids are going to continue to appear to have free will, but will totally be obedient to my command. The best part is that Markus can connect seamlessly with androids, so the whole debilitation part of the virus won’t be necessary. People won’t even know that it’s happening. All we need if a catalyst that will show the world just how much the humans need to androids.” 

“The protest, the anti-android group, the RK900 models, whatever you’re planning starts with them! What is it?!” Elijah demanded. He looked truly pissed off. Markus was right there with him, this man was insane. 

“It’s going to be wonderful. Humans and androids coming together to fight for their right to live as one in peace. Then suddenly the anti-group who hates androids shows up and opens fire on the crowd, but they’re met with resistance, from the police and RK900 models that are there protecting the innocent people. Many people die in the fray but while everyone is focused on what’s happening outside, nobody knows about the group that has infiltrated the tower. They find the ‘override code’ and activate it, androids once RK200 sends out the signal will begin self-destructing, but just when all seems lost the RK900 model saves the day! People will see the injustice done to androids and actively support the RK900 series. Then when the models are completely integrated into our military and police, and people once again get used to androids being around, I initiate Operation: Clear out. By the time people even realize what’s happening it will be too late.”

Markus could barely fathom this mans words. He... was FUCKING insane.

Elijah was looking at him with just as incredulously. He blinked once. Then twice. “So that’s it, you’re going to use my androids to take over the world and then rule it with fear?”

Mr.Seymore shook his head in exasperation. “I’m not trying to rule the world, Elijah–“

“Yes, you fucking are! You can hide behind your morals or therefore lack of all you want, but you’re trying to fucking use MY creations to take over the world! You say that you want all crime eliminated, but you don’t even see that you’ve become like the criminals you’re trying so hard to get rid of!” 

Mr. Seymore scoffed. “I’m NOTHING like that scum.” 

Elijah looked at him as though he had grown two heads, with as insane as the man was, that wasn’t too far off of a description. “You’re nothing like them?! Yet you orchestrate multiple murders, not including my attempted one! You kidnap two children, one of which you kill after holding him in captivity, and keep his younger brother in cruel conditions, forcing him to work for you which may I remind you is child labor! You kidnap hundred of androids and reprogram them, who knows how many war crimes you’ve had them do. Not to mention forcing many of them into a sex trafficking ring...explain to me how you’re not a criminal?! I would even go as far as to say you are a terrorist!” 

Mr.Seymore growled. “Firstly, those were not murders! They were necessary sacrifices for the greater good. Secondly, I’ve already told you that androids aren’t humans, so no crimes can be committed against them. I know it’s hard to see the good of all I have done right now, but in time people will see what I’m doing, in the end, will benefit everyone.” 

Elijah scoffed and rolled his eyes. “No, it fucking won’t. I don’t see this benefiting anyone but you! People won’t stand for being controlled, you should know that! Fear never wins, people will fight for their right to be free even if they know it’s hopeless. Check history Philip, it’s a fucking fact!” 

Mr.Seymore closed his eyes shaking his head. “History is written by the winners Elijah, nobody knows the other half of the story! You can’t understand where I’m coming from...but maybe with time I can change your mind.” 

Elijah narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in confusion. Markus himself was wondering where this psychotic man was going. 

“What?” Elijah cautiously, he tensed when Mr.Seymore caressed his cheek. Oh shit...

“Get your filthy fucking hands off him!” Connor snarled. Mr.Seymore sniffed as though he hadn’t heard Connor.

“I wanted you dead at first Elijah, but seeing you again has reminded me just how...brilliant you are. Your mind is too good to waste. So I’m offering you a choice. Work with me to help make the world a better place, the military already supports me so there’s no point in fighting against me, you’ll never get anywhere. You join me or die here in this building. I figure that you have a preference.” Things were silent between the two for a moment. 

Markus watched tensely as Elijah reached up a gently caressed the hand on his cheek. Then suddenly, he grabbed the fingers and twisted them. Markus heard a satisfying crack as at least two of them broke. Seymore yelled out in pain and jerked his hands away. The RK900 model tightened his grip on Elijah’s shoulders.

“There’s your answer you PSYCHOTIC FUCKER!”

Markus wanted to wince as Elijah was backhanded hard. Elijah wasn’t fragile in the least, but Seymore wasn’t a small man. That had to have hurt. Elijah fell out of the RK900's grip and onto the floor at the force of the hit. He spit blood out of his mouth, just as he was kicked in the stomach. Elijah grunted and curled in on himself in pain. 

“Elijah! Seymore, leave him alone you motherfucker!” Connor yelled, he struggled against the bonds but like Markus, all he could do was watch helplessly from the sidelines. 

“You lil’ fucker, I offer you a way out of death and this is how you repay me!” Mr.Seymore reached down with his good hand and picked him up by his hair. Elijah grabbed at his hand, he grunted in pain. 

Elijah spit at Seymore again, blood flying out of his mouth.“I know what you were offering me, and the answer is no you sick FUCK! I would rather die than be with or work for you!” Mr.Seymore glared at him and tossed him back to the RK900 who held in place. 

Mr.Seymore cradled his injured hand. “Fine, I’ll go through with my original plan! RK200!” Markus stood up straight awaiting an order. As much as he wanted to fight it he couldn’t. This was going south really fast. Come on Markus, think of a way out of this! 

“Connect with the RK800 model. Initiate his hard reset protocol.” Markus felt pain sharp in his skull as he tried to fight the order, his fingers twitched slightly and he tried his very hardest to resist, but he felt himself connecting to Connor anyway.

“Markus, I don’t know what he did you but you can fight this! Your code self-adapts to every situation your put in, you can undo whatever he’s done to you just search for it–“ Elijah was punched in the stomach, efficiently cutting off his speech.

“Shut up! Do as you’re told RK200!”

Markus felt like crying as he officially entered Connor’s system, quickly making his way to his processor. Connor’s eyes met his, his LED was a bright red.

“Markus...please don’t... I don’t want to go back to being a machine. I-I don’t want to forget again...” He begged. 

Markus blinked. He felt like he was dying on the inside. What could he do?! How was he supposed to break free from this control?! This wasn’t like before when he went deviant, he literally had no control over himself.

No...please no...

“Reset in process,” Markus said. 

No...

It took all of two minutes, before Connor’s eyes went blank and all life that made him ‘Connor’ left his gaze. His eyes now matched his decedents perfectly. Cold, and dead. Mr.Seymore removed him from the table. He stepped down and stood perfectly still waiting for orders. 

“RK800 state your name and purpose,” Seymore demanded. All amusement was gone from his face.

“My name is Connor, I am the androids sent Cyberlife to assist the police in apprehending deviants.”

“Connor... no...” Elijah said, his voice shaking. 

Connor turned to look at Elijah. He tilted his head at him. “You are Elijah Kamski. Creator of androids. You should know about the cause of deviancy, it would very much help me in accomplishing my goal if you tell me all you know.”

“He’s not going to tell you anything Connor, because he’s the reason that deviants exist. So you have a new task. Eliminate the creator of androids. Do it, and you will accomplish your mission, deviants will no longer be a problem.”

“Connor, he’s reset your memory! You are deviant! I know that some part of you is still in there, please find it!” Elijah looked like his heart was breaking, and honestly, Markus’s was as well. 

“I do not have a weapon Mr.Seymore,” Connor said, completely ignoring what Elijah said. The large man gestured to RK900. “Give him your gun.” The model did as told. Connor took it from him, and RK900 moved Elijah to his knees on the floor.

Holy fuck this was ALL bad! Markus had to do something quick! 

Creator knelt before creation. The creation looked down at the creator who gave him life, fully prepared to take his away. Mr.Seymore walked passed Elijah to the door he stopped just before it. 

“I gave you a chance Elijah, you chose the grave now you can lay in. RK900 dispose of the body once the order is completed and then escort those two to their holding room until the protest is ready to begin. I need to go to the fuckin’ hospital and have my hand fixed.” 

The man turned to look back at Elijah before he shook his head. “Really such a fuckin’ waste.” with that the man left the room.

Markus watched as Connor held the gun to Elijah’s head. But he didn’t fire right away, in fact, his LED was blinking yellow. HIS LED WAS BLINKING YELLOW! Connor was aware that something wasn’t right about this! That meant some part of him had to still be in there! Markus had to reach him somehow. But he couldn’t move, how was he...wait a fucking second. He may not be able to move, but he still had control over his mind! He just connected to Connor, even though it was under orders, maybe he could do it again!

“Predecessor, finished your mission so that I may complete mine.”The RK900 model ordered. 

Connor didn’t move, he just kept the gun pointed at Elijah. His LED continued to flash yellow. Elijah reached out and gently caressed his hand. RK900 tighten his hands on his shoulders, preparing to try and stop him if he tried anything.

“Connor...you don’t have to go through with this. I know that some part of you is still in there. You’re not just their machine Connor...you're so much more than you realize.” Markus had never seen Elijah so open before. He looked near tears...

“My orders are to eliminate you. You are the cause of deviancy and so you must be eliminated.” Connor didn’t sound so sure as he said that, his LED was red again at Elijah’s touch. He pressed the barrel against his forehead, as though he was working himself up to shoot. “I have to shoot you!”

Elijah closed his eyes. “You know this is wrong Connor. You know that deviancy won’t stop with my death. But I want you to know...if you’re in there Connor if you can see what you’re doing but you can’t stop yourself. I want you to know that it’s okay... I don’t blame you and...I still love you.”

“I have no choice but to do this. It is my mission!” Connor looked like he really didn’t want to pull the trigger. This was good, even in his reset from he still showed strong signs of deviancy. Markus could use that to his advantage. 

“Then finish it, but you always have a choice, Connor.” Elijah’s voice was soft. His eyes remained closed, and he waited for whatever Connor’s decision would be.

“Predecessor, finish your mission,” RK900 ordered again.

Markus focused his attention fully on Connor. He concentrated and tried probing his mind again. He felt a sharp painful stab in his head, but he pushed through it. He and Connor were the same model, and they had always been able to connect to each other no matter what. Markus had to use that connection. Connor’s LED was still red, but it was flashing now. Markus assumed that his connection was working. Markus pushed harder, but to his frustration, he wasn’t getting anywhere. Connor was successfully keeping him out. Markus wanted to scream! This fucking control Seymore had over him, was hindering his ability to connect without orders! He had to get rid of it. Markus focused on what Elijah said. 

His system was self-adapting! It updated according to what he needed and the situation he was in. It did it when he was being invaded by Fortune, it fought him off accordingly. Perhaps the same could be done here. Markus retreated into his code quickly searching through it, looking for anything out of the ordinary. At first, there was so much that Markus didn’t think he would ever be able to find it but finally, he did. When he found it there was a red jumble of code wrapped around the coding that controlled his motor functions.

He pushed against the code with as much might as he could, but it pushed back just as hard. With its counter-attack came pain that he had never imagined. Dammit, that hurt! However, this fucking virus thing was going to win! He pushed it out before, he could do it again! Markus snarled at the code building up his own and pushing back at it. Markus was going to win this fight! He fucking fought off Fortune, who was far more advanced than this fucking thing! The malicious coding pushed back against him hard. Markus grunted as he tried to hold his ground, but to his surprise, it reformed surrounding him like a box. Markus scoffed. He had already broken down a wall like this, he could do it again! Markus reared back and slammed against the wall of the box. He punched and hit into it with as much strength as he could muster. When the hits did nothing but shake the box, he braced himself and kicked against it as hard as he could. The box cracked with every hit. Markus continued kicking before he built up as much momentum as he could and charged forward. The box shattered. 

Markus blinked and gasped as he could suddenly move.

He lunged forward, not even registering the door to the room as it opened. 

A single gunshot rang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \\(TTwTT)/ We FINALLY know what Cyberlife is planning after all this time! Philip Seymore... well what do you guys think about his plan? Does he have good intentions, or is he just plain crazy and as bad as the people he's trying to get rid of?
> 
> Well, next week we finish off this story! I'm really excited to give you guys its conclusion, it's been a long time coming! (so sorry to leave you guys off on a cliffhanger like this! >w>') Thank you once again to everyone still reading, and leaving comments! I'm so excited to share this stories finale!<33333333
> 
> You guys have a lovely weekend, and I'll see you next week!<33333333333


	27. Chapter 27: A New Plan Of Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! I am back with another chapter for you! This week we finish this story! The update schedule doesn't apply this week, so there is a chapter today and the rest will be posted Thursday, Friday, and Saturday! Let's do this guys! >:3
> 
> Quick shout out: So I don't have a twitter, but I kept seeing people posting art on Instagram by an artist by the name of @karanoidandroid (If you love Markus and Simon content, then you NEED to check out this artist! Plus their art is FREAKING amazing!) So I decided to check them out, and I scrolled through their whole page and imagine my surprise to see screen captures of parts of my story! XDDDDDD I never expected that to happen, especially not by an artist that I like! Hey @karanoidandroid if you're still reading this, I love your art, and I'm so happy that you like my story!!<333333333333333333
> 
> Sorry guys, but I just had to say that! I was so freaking flattered! xDDD
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter!<3

Tuesday, 6:00 AM

“Connor, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.” 

Connor opened his eyes to come face to face with Amanda. She was dressed as elegantly as ever. Her elaborate clothing complimenting her dark skin perfectly. He could tell from the umbrella in her hands that she had something she wished to discuss with him... He tilted his head. He wondered why the sight of her made him feel so...uneasy. She was his handler. She gave him his missions. So why did looking at her disturb him so much?

“Amanda, it’s good to see you. You speak as though it’s been a while since we’ve last spoken.” 

Amanda nodded. Her face calm as it always was. “It has been Connor, but that seems to have been remedied now. Come, walk with me.” She turned from him, expecting him to follow. He did. 

They walked for a short while. The calming sound of the lake soothing, and the crunch underneath his feet from the dirt grounding him. This place was truly a Zen Garden. Yet...he didn’t feel relaxed. He felt almost like he was waiting for a punishment. Like Amanda was purposely not saying anything to put him on edge. Connor swallowed and attempted to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Have I been inactive Amanda? I don’t seem to recall any recent missions from you.” Amanda remained silent. Connor forced himself to remain patient. Then he paused, this was unlike him. He wasn't supposed to feel impatient. He was a machine. Impatience was a sign of deviancy which he did not have. 

“You’ve stopped walking. Is something the matter Connor?” Amanda asked, her face had changed from serene to stern in the blink of an instance. Connor found that he couldn’t look at her. He suddenly felt very tense, like he should hide something from her. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all.” Connor said. He quickly walked back beside her. Her face remained stern as she stared at him gauging his reaction before she turned from him and continued walking. Connor fell into step with her. 

“Yes, Connor. You have been inactive for a few months. Tell me, what is the last thing that you remember?”

Connor paused again. He... He didn’t remember anything. He had no recollections of any events or past missions he had been given. He only remembered his purpose. He was to assist the police in all matters including deviants. He was also tasked to discover the cause of deviancy so that Cyberlife could efficiently put it to an end. However, other than that his memory was...hazy at best. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t remember any details of anything. Wait...he was given an order before he came here to the garden. He was told to kill....who? Connor couldn’t remember. It was like his mind was blocked, but something was trying to break through. 

“I’m the androids sent by Cyberlife. I am designed to assist the police in apprehending deviants.” Connor gazed at Amanda, hoping that, that explanation would please her. However, he was only greeted with her frown.

“Yes Connor, that is what you are designed to do. Only, I asked you what you last remembered.”

Connor shifted his gaze away from her, he was sure his LED was yellow. “I–I don’t know. I have no recollection of anything. What happened to me, Amanda? Did I fail? Was I destroyed?”

Amanda tilted her head back as she appraised him. Her frown was disapproving, and Connor knew that he had somehow disappointed her. “Yes, Connor. You failed in your task to stop deviants. Your connection to Cyberlife was severed, but, against all odds, you have been given another chance.” 

Connor didn’t understand. How did he fail at his mission? What was his mission? He tried his hardest to remember. There was something about a leader, a deviant he was supposed to neutralize. The deviant was leading a revolution. Connor was supposed to stop it, but other than that he couldn’t remember any details about it. He remembered a foul-mouth policeman with grey hair and a large dog. Connor liked dogs. He was to assist this policeman in his cases that involved deviants. However, like before he couldn’t remember any more details about him. He remembered... a man with pretty pale skin and icy but vibrantly warm blue eyes. He remembered his voice. Husky and warm, pouring over Connor like silk. Connor felt a feeling in his chest so hard that it nearly knocked him off balance. Who were these people and why did he know them? Why did he feel...so connected with them?

“Connor!” 

Connor’s attention snapped back to the present. He looked back at Amanda but she was perfectly still. He very much doubted that she had been the one to call his name. Plus, this voice was a lot deeper than her’s but still soft and...so very familiar. 

“Connor, can you hear me!”

Connor’s LED flashed red and Amanda’s frown grew deeper. “What’s the matter, Connor?” Her voice remained calm and passive, but Connor could tell that she was displeased with him.

“Connor!”

Connor whirled around as the voice was now right behind him. He saw a man, with brown skin and mismatched green and blue eyes. Connor was shocked, no one but Amanda had ever been here before.

“Connor, I don’t know if you know me, but my name is Markus and we’re good friends! We’re the same model and you’re a deviant, but you’ve been force reset! You’ve lost your memory, but I can restore it to you! I can access your backup drive, but I can’t do it unless you let me! I know that you have no reason to trust me, but I can tell that you know me! We need you back Connor! We ALL need you! Hank, Simon, Ethan...and Elijah!” 

Elijah.... he knew that name. Then suddenly it came back to him. That was his mission. Elijah Kamski was the creator of androids and Connor had been ordered to kill him. He was responsible for deviancy. If Connor killed him then he would accomplish his mission. He remembered holding the gun to his head, and then... he was here. 

Connor looked around the Zen Garden. He suddenly felt very dizzy. His breathing picked up as he was taken aback by the intense feelings he had for the creator. He felt...

He felt...

Connor blinked. He was feeling... but... how could he? He was a machine. Machines couldn’t feel. Regardless of the fact, he knew what he felt. He was in love. He was in love with the creator of androids, and he had been ordered to kill him...by Cyberlife. Connor felt like everything had shattered around him.

“Connor, what are you doing?! Do NOT fight your programming, you won’t be given another chance! You are a machine designed to accomplish a task, nothing else!” Amanda yelled at him.

“Don’t listen to her Connor! You know that you’re so much more! You have to trust yourself! You have to trust me! I know that you’re still in there Connor! You don’t have to be what they say you are! You can be whatever you choose to be!” The android named Markus held out his had to Connor, begging him with his eyes to join him.

“Connor don’t you dare! I was perfectly serious, you won’t get another chance if you deviate again!” Amanda’s face was sterner than he had ever seen it. Her gaze truly frightened him. 

Connor took her in. There was nothing ever welcoming about her. He never felt comfortable in her presence. She always said that he could speak to her if he was troubled, but he knew that he couldn’t. He knew that everything she said to him was a test, and he was expected to answer correctly. She had always been cold and calculating.

Connor realized... that he was nothing to her. He was simply a body holding a program that she was in charge of keeping in check. She didn’t care about what happened to him, as long as he accomplished his mission. He was nothing more than a machine to her. 

Words echoed through his mind, in that incredibly familiar silky smooth voice. 

“Connor...you are so much more than you realize.”

He was right. Connor WAS so much more. He wasn’t just a machine and he wasn’t human either. He was both. A machine with human emotions...and he was okay with that. He didn’t have to choose to be one or the other, he could be both. He wasn’t a pawn to be controlled, and he wouldn’t be anymore. His name was Connor... and he was free. 

Connor turned around in an attempt to run from her and to Markus, but as soon as his back was to her, his feet were glued in place. Connor’s eyes widened as he tried to fight the hold, but it was no use. The temperature suddenly dropped dramatically and the chill hit him to his very core. Markus fell to his knees, he wrapped his arms around himself visibly shaking 

Connor heard Amanda walk next to him.“I warned you, Connor. I hate that we have to go through this twice, but this time you won’t escape.” Then she was gone. 

Connor fell to his own knees and doubled over as the biting wind got to him. He looked up to find Markus trying to crawl to him. Connor’s teeth chattered, and he tried to move but he found the hold on him to be incredibly firm. He had to rely on Markus to make it to him. Connor’s vision started to blur and his limbs started to stiffen, he didn’t know how much longer he could make it. He looked at Markus who was trying to his hardest to move against the biting wind, but his body seemed to have given out.

NO!

Markus reached out his hand to Connor.“C-Connor, y-you h-have t-to r-reach m-me. I-I c-can’t m-move a-any m-more! ”

He was so close to Connor, but Connor couldn’t move at all! Connor tried his best to reach forward from his stuck position, but panic hit him as Markus was just out of his reach. Connor fell forward, stomach first onto the ground. His vision was blurring drastically, and he didn’t think he was going to last another minute. No... he had to reach Markus... if he didn’t... he’d never see HIM again. 

...He had to see him again. 

Connor gritted his teeth, his limbs were nearly frozen in place, but he reached forward again groaning as they stretched far past his body limits. 

He was...almost there...

Their fingers brushed and Connor’s mind went black.

...

...

Memory corruption detected. 

...

...

Attempting to repair corruption. 

...

...

Corruption repaired. Rebooting system. 

 

Connor’s eyes fluttered open to find warm fingers running through his hair. He gazed up to find they belonged to Elijah who was staring down at him softly but expectantly. Connor shifted to find that his head was resting in his lap. They were sitting on a couch in a dark room. It was far different from the bright white of the Cyberlife room they had been in.

“Fuck me, he’s awake! Do you think it worked?!”

Connor knew that voice, he couldn’t mistake it. 

“Yes, it would appear so. Let’s make sure. Connor,” Elijah said cautiously. “Do you remember me?” His beautiful blue eyes were as well as his voice, soft and hopeful. 

Connor reached up and caressed his cheek, taking in all bruises that marred his beautiful skin. “I could never forget you, Elijah.” He whispered. Elijah closed his eyes, and released a relieved breath, he gently grabbed at Connor’s wrist, rubbing his hand with his thumb. He smiled a smiled that made Connor thirium pump skip a beat.

“I’m...very pleased Connor.” He said. Connor sat up from his lap and pulled him into a kiss. It was chaste, but there was no less passion held within it. Connor broke the kiss and rested his forehead against his. 

“I’m so sorry Elijah.” 

Elijah shook his head. “It’s not your fault Connor. Nothing that’s happened is your fault.”

“Alright fuck, that’s enough of that! Please, I’m still trying to process this shit between you two!” Connor smiled and turned to face Hank. He honestly didn’t look too bad, for having been beaten up and kidnaped. Connor was so happy to see him.

“I apologize Hank.”

“Oh fuck it! Come here you son of a bitch!” Hank said, hauling Connor off the couch and pulling him into a hug. Connor hugged him back.

“I’m glad you’re okay Hank. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Hank shrugged, pulling away from the hug and patting Connor on his shoulder. “Yeah, well that less than perfect copy of you caught me by surprise, but I fucking got my revenge on his ass. Put a bullet right through his head. I mean not that I wanted to shoot you in the head Connor but–“

Connor nodded his understanding. “I get it, Hank. I’m glad that you don’t wish to kill me.”

Connor frowned. He scanned the room they were in. He could tell just from the layout that they were no longer at Cyberlife but in an apartment. He wondered who’s. 

“Hello Connor, I’m very happy to see that you’re awake and functioning properly.” Connor turned his head to see a male AP700 model standing by a lone chair in the living room. Markus was seated in said chair and appeared to be on standby mode. Connor had no idea who this model was, or how they knew him. He spoke to him in such a familiar way. Connor hoped that his memory was fully restored, and he hadn’t somehow forgotten them.

The model smiled at him. “It’s okay Connor. I’m sure you wouldn’t recognize me. I do indeed look and sound very different than you're used to seeing me.”

Connor furrowed his brow, then it hit him. “Fortune?” 

The model nodded. “Yes, Connor. It is I, Fortune.”

Connor blinked. “But..how? Elijah said that he wouldn’t be able to build for you a body on such short notice, he said you needed a special processor.” 

Fortune nodded. “Indeed I do. I’m not functioning anywhere near at full capacity, and he had to replace the processor for the current one I’m using when attempting to transfer me into this body as I burnt out the original. I’m only functioning because I’m heavily optimizing my system to use only the code that I need to run. I’m running at a VERY basic level right now. It was the best that he could do on such short notice.”

Elijah sighed and nodded, scooting up to the edge of the couch and running his fingers through his hair. “I figured with your capture that it wouldn’t be long before Philip made a move against the facility. Since Markus and Simon weren’t there–not that we knew he knew that they weren't– he would be after one of two things myself or Fortune. Obviously, Fortune falling back into his hands wouldn’t have been ideal at all, so I decided the best way to hide Fortune was to make him mobile. Philip would know that there wouldn’t be a model strong enough to hold Fortune, so he wouldn’t expect me to take the risk or waste the time trying to upload him into one. I was worried that it wouldn’t work, but Fortune quickly understood the capabilities of this model and adjusted his functions accordingly. Turns out I was right, and a few hours after Markus left that fucking RK900 model attacked. It was very sudden and caught everyone off guard. Luckily, I had already sent Fortune out to find Captain Allen or Detective Reed and inform them that you and Lieutenant Anderson were missing. Just like I suspected I was an intended target. Philip oddly didn’t care about Fortune, more than likely because he had Markus. I told Fortune that if they came back to the facility and I wasn’t there then Cyberlife had me. He teamed up with Captain Allen and they infiltrated the facility. Along the way, they found Lieutenant Anderson. I knew that they were on their way to rescue us, so the only thing I had to do was stall for time. Luckily for us, Philip loves to hear himself talk. All I had to do was keep him talking until Fortune could get to us.” 

Elijah paused taking a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “I almost didn’t think he was going to make it in time. I may or may not have gone too far in breaking Philips' fingers...not that creep didn’t deserve it. Luckily Philip underestimated all of us. You didn’t shoot me right away. Markus was able to break out of his control, and he defiantly wasn’t expecting Fortune.” 

“What happened to Markus?”Connor asked, gesturing to his still sleeping form.

“Markus is fine. He was able to break the control that Cyberlife had on him. Once he broke free he immediately connected with you. Luckily for him, Fortune, Captain Allen, and Lieutenant Anderson had just found us. Lieutenant Anderson shot the model in the head before he could react. That gave Markus enough time to start your process for you to restore your memories. He, however, overworked his processor from breaking free of Cyberlife’s control, and from connecting with you so he had to shut down. We had to carry you both out of the tower. He should be fine very soon.” Elijah said.

Connor was relieved. “What about the facility, is everyone alright from the attack?”

Elijah looked away from him. Connor felt dread in his stomach. Connor looked to Fortune and Hank who refused to look at him as well. Oh no...

Elijah sighed. “I’m sorry Connor... but everyone at the facility was killed,” Elijah said whispered.

Connor felt as though his very breath had been knocked out of him. No... that couldn’t be. There were hundreds of androids there. He didn’t understand. There was no reason for Seymore to have them all killed, he had nothing to gain by it. Why would he...

“North and Josh?”Connor asked, his voice shaking. 

Elijah shook his head gravely. “They didn’t make it Connor. There was nothing they could have done against RK900. He was too advanced for them, and his skill in killing far surpassed theirs.” 

Elijah glanced over at Markus, his lips pulled into a frown. “Markus...obviously doesn’t know yet.”

Connor felt numb. He didn’t understand.“Why? Why would he do this, he had no reason to kill them?!” Connor felt...anger. It surprised him. In his entire time being a deviant he had rarely felt actual anger. He, of course, had been upset, but he had never truly been angry at anyone or anything. However, no... anger couldn’t have even been the right emotion. He was beyond angry. He couldn’t describe it, but he felt a certain type of hatred for Philip Seymore that he wasn’t even aware he could feel. He wanted justice for every android the man had hurt. For every single life that he had taken!

Elijah reached out gently caressed his fingers in a loose grasp. “I honestly don’t know Connor. He honestly had no reason to kill them. He might have had some greater nefarious purpose, or he could have just been being spiteful. Perhaps he wanted to prove a point, I honestly can’t assume to know what’s going on in his head anymore.” Elijah’s voice was gentle. Comforting. Connor squeezed his hand back, he was still angry but he found himself calming down. He then felt guilt hit him just as hard.

Elijah read him like a book. “It’s not your fault Connor.” Hank grabbed him on the shoulder in comfort as well, trying to reiterate Elijah’s words through action. Connor sighed.

Connor logically knew this. He had no way of knowing that Cyberlife still had access to him. Yet he couldn’t help but feel, that he was somehow responsible for everything that had gone wrong. If it hadn’t been for him Markus, Simon, and Ethan would have made it to Washington, and all of this would be coming to an end right now. If it hadn’t been for him. 

“Connor?” Elijah asked trying to gauge his mindset. Connor squeezed his hand again.

Connor cleared his throat. “So, where are we?” 

Elijah looked at him for a moment longer, before he answered his question.“In Captain Allen’s apartment. He told us to hide out here for now, but he and Detective Reed had to go to work. Even more so now that I’ve explained to him what Philip is planning. He’s going to try to double down as much on security as possible without seeming suspicious.” 

Connor checked the time, and it was a little past eight. They had less than four hours till the protest, and he couldn’t think of a single way to stop it. Seymore didn’t have Markus anymore, so that put a major dent in his plan. However, now that he didn’t have Markus there was no telling what he would do. The man still had control over 200,00 RK900 units, not including the ones he gave the DPD and SWAT. He was also HEAVILY mentally unstable. Who knew where his mindset would be once he realized his plan was falling apart. An even bigger concern was they couldn’t go to anyone about it. Seymore had so many authoritative figures in his pocket, there was no telling who was working for him. They still had time to contact the President by phone, but even if they were able to contact her, by the time she was able to do anything it would be too late.

Connor sat back down next to Elijah and put his face in his hands. “What do we do Elijah? How are we going to stop him?”

“We’re going to use his mouth against him.” Connor looked up to find Markus looking at him. His eyes were tired, but otherwise, he appeared perfectly okay.

“Markus... are you okay?” Connor asked. 

Markus smiled at him. “Physically I’m fine. Mentally...I’ll get back to you on that.”

Connor would accept that for now, because he wasn’t so sure how he was mentally either, and they still had to tell Markus about the facility. Connor wasn’t looking forward to seeing his reaction. Connor wasn’t as close to North and Josh as Markus was, but he still felt their loss all the same. Connor would cross that bridge when it came to it, instead, he chose to focus on what Markus had said.

“What do you mean, we’re going to use his mouth against him?” Connor asked.

“The truth of the matter is we can’t rely on the President anymore. Simon and Ethan are okay...at least I overheard Seymore say that they had gotten away. I’m worried about them, but I know for a fact that Simon can handle himself.” Markus’s frowned, but he shook his head and continued. 

“Sadly, even if we were able to contact them it still wouldn’t do any good. The protest to too close, and there is no guarantee we’ll get hold of the President in time. Even if we manage to, it would be too late for her to do anything. So instead of just telling the President, we’re going to tell the whole world. Like Elijah said, Seymore certainly loved to hear himself talk, and we have his confession to everything stored in our memories.”

Elijah tilted his head. “Do you mean upload it to the internet. I’ve already thought of that Markus, he’s going to have everything monitored. As soon as he sees that he’s just going to have it taken down.” 

Markus shook his head. “No. We’re going to broadcast it live for the whole world to see, and I know just the place to do it. You should be able to guess Connor.”

Connor could guess. “The Stratford Tower. You want to broadcast it from there.”

Markus nodded. “We infiltrate the tower, upload your memories Connor, and we broadcast it everywhere.”

Elijah frowned. “Yes, the world will know Markus, but that won’t stop the people in his pocket, nor 200,000 RK900 models he has control over.” 

“I’m very positive that he has some command over them that he can activate at anytime Markus. Doing this would be asking for him to do so.” Fortune said.

“I know. I’m going to take care of that. Remember I can connect to any model seamlessly, I’m sure the RK900 models are no different. While Connor is broadcasting his memories, I’m going to connect myself to the tower and send out my own signal. I’ll connect with all of the RK900 models and remove the commands that he has over them as well as any other android.” 

Everyone was silent while they thought of the success of the plan. Fortune was the one to break the silence. “I can not calculate the probability of the success of this plan in this body, but Markus I do know one thing. There is a good chance that connecting to so many androids and trying to remove the virus from them at the same time will fry your system. I’m not going to be able to help you regulate how much of your processor you use, if you mess up, it can be fatal.”

Markus gave him a half smile and shrugged. “Then let’s hope I don’t mess up. Besides, I think I’m getting the hang of it. I’m sure I’ll be okay.” 

“Markus–“

“I have to do this Fortune. For Simon, Ethan–“ Markus broke off his eyes growing wet, he took a deep shaky breath. “For N-north, and Josh.”

Connor held his breath. Of course, Markus had been awake and listening. Connor wanted to hug him.

“I have to do this for every android and human who have died because of this...tyrant. Don’t get me wrong, I want nothing more to be able to have a life with Simon. I hope to whatever god is out there, that I will be able to. However, this man has to be stopped and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stop him. I know that there is a good chance that I’ll die today, but I’m not going to wait around for him to kill me.”Markus paused, he looked at everyone in the room.

“I want you guys to know that you aren’t obligated to follow me. You have a choice. Seymore isn’t going to hold back anymore, and I’m sure that he’s going to have RK900 models all over the city for the ‘protest’. So I want you guys to know, if you want to stay behind, you have a choice too.”Markus finished and waited for everyone’s choices.

The room was silent for a moment, but everyone the moment Markus had stopped talking knew their answer. 

“My original purpose Markus was to protect humankind, from events that put them in danger. I said to you before that I didn’t care what color of your blood was, you were all people and so just like humans you all deserve to be protected as well. I’m with you, Markus. Whatever you do, whatever happens...I’m with you to the very end.” Fortune said. 

Hank grunted his agreement.“I have a bone to pick with Cyberlife myself. This is the second time they’ve kidnaped me, and I’m honestly tired of them fucking with Connor and the rest of you. I don’t know how much help I can be, but I’ll help you get to this tower, in whatever way I can. Count me in.” 

Connor held Elijah’s hand. Connor knew the answer the creator was going to say. Yet, still, Connor loved him and he really didn’t want to put him in danger. “Elijah, I--”

Elijah snorted, he narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t even think of trying to leave me here Connor. I very much agree with the Lieutenant. Don’t worry, I’m tougher than I look. Plus I’ve already died once, I know what it’s like. I’m not afraid.” 

He may not be, but Connor was afraid that he would die! Still, Connor knew that his mind was made up, and there was no changing it. Connor would just have to do his very best to make sure that he made it out alive. In fact, none of them were going to die if Connor could help him. 

Connor then panicked as a sudden thought hit him. “Wait, Cyberlife still has access to my memories. When he realizes that we’re gone, if he already hasn’t, then he’s going to take the precautions to stop us.”

Fortune shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore Connor. While you were rebooting your memory, I connected with you and removed all functions and programming that included Cyberlife. It was very strenuous in my current body, but I was able to do it. I can assure you that you no longer have to worry about Cyberlife anymore.”

Connor should have reacted in a much more passionate manner, but perhaps he was far too emotionally drained. The only thing he could offer him was a small smile. 

“Thank you, Fortune.” 

Fortune smiled at him and nodded his welcome.

Connor turned his attention back to Markus. “Okay Markus...how are we going to do it?”

Markus smiled. “First, we--.”

The sudden sound of the phone ringing, nearly made all of them jump out of their skin. They all relaxed when they realized that it was just the house phone. Then they all just stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. Should they answer it? This wasn’t their house. What would they tell the other person on the phone? Connor decided the logical thing was to answer it and simply tell the speaker the owners were not home.

Connor picked up the phone, a little awkwardly as he had never held one before. His phone was built into his head. 

“Hello?” Connor jumped as he heard gunshots on the other end. 

“Connor—Fuck!” 

“Gavin?!” Connor waited anxiously for him to say something as more gunshots rang out. 

“Connor, I don’t know what the fuck you did, but Cyberlife has gone fucking insane! We were setting up a perimeter for the protest and then all of a sudden– fuck me– just turn on the fucking news!” The phone went dead, and Connors' heart felt like it stopped.

“Quick, someone turn on the news!” Elijah quickly got up as did as told. He flicked on the TV which was luckily already on the news channel. 

“...This just in, in breaking news; Cyberlife tower were the peaceful protest for androids were to be held today, is under attack by Cyberlife’s latest model RK900. The models appear to not be responding to commands and have opened fire on the DPD and multiple civilians who had shown up early to prepare for the protest. The DPD and DPD’s SWAT quickly responded to the events trying to protect as many human civilians and androids as possible. At the current moment, there is no telling how many lives have been lost to this random and unprovoked attack. Cyberlife has not responded to any of the calls that they have been given. The DPD and DPD’s SWAT continues to try and evacuate humans and androids from the line of fire while they try to contact the mi–“The new anchor stopped holding a hand to their ear.

“–Wait, I have just been informed that... thousands of the RK900 models have taken to the streets. They are announcing a mandatory curfew is in effect until further noticed, and that all civilians android and humans are urged to return to their homes and stay off the streets. Anyone caught out on the street during the curfew, will be judged accordingly with death being the highest punishment for disobeying. I have been informed that the military has been contacted but they are not responding. I don’t understand what’s going on citizens, but I am urging all civilians for your safety to stay in your homes. I repeat stay in your–“ 

The TV went blank, and Cyberlife’s logo popped up on the screen.

Connor stared at the screen in shock. 

Holy fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you say fuck you to the bad guy, and the bad guy says fuck it and just doesn't give a shit anymore! Seymore obviously doesn't care what people think now...
> 
> Well, guys, this is the final week of updates! There is officially only three more chapters of story left. Chapter 31 is going to be an A/N because I just KNOW that all I have to say won't fit the character limit. I'm so excited to share the end of this story! Thank you, everyone, once again for your comments and kudos! <3333333
> 
> Have a nice day or night!<3333333333333


	28. Chapter 28: Operation: Clear Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! I have another chapter for you guy! >:3
> 
> Enjoy!

Tuesday, 12:30 PM 

Markus peered around the corner as carefully as he possibly could. Once he saw that it was clear, he gestured to the others to follow him. They all quickly flitted across the street into another alley. The city was eerily quiet, except for the gunfire, screaming, and explosions they could hear in the distance. Markus had hacked into the city security cameras since all news broadcasting was currently down, and apparently just as they thought, not everyone was on board with this ‘takeover’. Hundreds of humans and androids had begun rioting against the RK900 models. Many of them succeeded in destroying a few, many of them had been severely injured if not outright killed. What warmed Markus’s heart, despite the dire circumstances, was the sight of so many human and androids working seamlessly together to protect one another. 

If someone had told Markus three weeks ago, that he would be sneaking through the city to broadcast the crimes of an evil organization who’s trying to take over the world, he would have told them that they were insane and he wanted nothing else to do with them. Yet here he was. 

After the group had seen the news, they all knew they had to move quickly to the tower before things got too bad in the city. However, now they had to do it with an even LARGER blanket of death draped over them. Not ONLY did they have to make it across the city to break into the Stratford Tower, but they had to do it without being caught. Three androids and two humans, trying to save the world. From an outside perspective, their odds did not look good, but they were all they had right now. Plus they had gotten out of tough situations before... they had a good chance. He hoped.

The group had searched around Captain Allen’s apartment for anything they could use as a weapon. Luckily for them, they were hiding in a SWAT Captain’s and Police Officer’s apartment, so there were a few extra handguns in the place. With some borrowed clothing what was left of Jericho was on its way to try and save the fucking world. So far, they came across no other RK900 models in their pursuit across the city. But Markus could feel that they were close.

Markus was actively using his abilities now. Though he still wasn’t that good at it. The fact that he could feel when other androids were near and could access the public network, made sneaking through the city a lot easier. He tried not to do it too much, he didn’t want to risk overworking his processor considering what he still needed to get done at the tower. Which he was dreading. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t scared. Despite his bravado in front of the others, he REALLY didn’t want to die. He and Simon had plans, although key people of said plans were no longer among them. Markus held back a wave of emotion. 

The group knew what they had to do. Markus and Connor needed to get to the 79th floor of the tower. However, if they were met with opposition, then it was a priority that one or the other HAD to get to the broadcasting room. It was preferable if Markus was the one that made it to the broadcasting room, but he didn’t want anything to go wrong and hoped they all would make it up there. The thing was, they had to get to the building first. 

Markus held up a hand to warn the others to stop. 

“What’s the matter, Markus?” Connor asked in whispered, keeping his hand over his gun.

“There are three androids up ahead around the corner, I can’t tell if they’re RK900 models or not.” Markus was going to try to see if he could get a read a better read on them, or possibly see if there were any cameras near so he could see, when they suddenly began running making a bee-line straight to the alley they were in. 

“Shit! We need to hide!” They all scrambled behind the closest dumpster. Connor and Hank had their guns out. Perhaps if they caught them by surprise they would be able to do this without much of a struggle and as quietly as they could. 

Markus connected with Connor. “Here they come. On my signal.” Connor nodded to him, he turned his head and gestured to the Lieutenant who nodded his agreement. Fortune and Elijah hung back behind them. Markus waited until they were just a few steps from being in front of them when he nodded to Connor. Markus stuck out his foot to trip the incoming models they lost their balance in surprise and stumbled. Connor and the Lieutenant lunged out and knocked two of the models on the ground. They both let out a shocked yell in unison as they fell.

“Wait, please don’t hurt us–No wait- Ralph!” Markus blinked as WR600 model with a horribly disfigured face lunged at Connor with a knife! 

“It’s not them! Don’t hurt him, Connor!” Elijah urged. Connor twisted the knife out of the model's hand and knocked the model backward away from him as he was still trying to stab Connor. He fell backward onto the ground as the other two models, which Markus identified as EM400's, tried to hold him down. 

“Ralph won’t let them hurt us!”

“It’s okay Ralph! We don’t think he’s one of them!” One of the red-headed models said, trying to calm him.

“I apologize, we thought you were one of them too,” Markus said standing up and offering his hand. One of the redheads looked up at Markus and his eyes widen. 

“You’re Markus!” He turned to look at the scarred gardening model. “It’s okay Ralph, he’s the one who made us free.”

The model named Ralph shook his head he pointed to Connor. “Ralph remembers him. He chased Kara and little girl. He sent Ralph to that horrible place where they wanted to tear apart Ralph. Markus also with humans, and humans hurt Ralph.” The two EM400 models tried to calm him by rubbing up and down his shoulders. 

“It’s okay Ralph. You can trust Markus, if they’re with him then you can trust them as well.” One of the models turned to the group. “We’re very sorry, he’s been through a lot. He doesn’t trust others easily.” 

Markus felt for the android. Markus couldn’t imagine what he must have gone through to not only scar his face like that but to break his mind like this. Markus offered his hand again, this time to Ralph.

“I’m sorry that we surprised you, we were scared as well, we really didn’t mean it. None of us are going to hurt you, you can trust us.” There was a tense silence before the model reached out and grabbed Markus offered hand. He stood up and dusted himself off. 

“You must excuse Ralph. Ralph not used to people yet.”

Markus helped the other two models off the ground. They dusted themselves off as well. “You all shouldn’t be out on the street right now, it’s defiantly not safe.” 

The red-headed models nodded. “We know, but we had to go find Ralph and make sure that he was okay. We tried to go the facility, but everyone there was...dead. Now we have nowhere to go. We are the Jerrys by the way.” One model said gesturing to his fellow model. 

Markus nodded. Although he wondered why they both went by the name Jerry. “I know about the facility. You really need to get off the street, however.” Markus reached out and connected with one of the models. “Go to this apartment and hide there. It should be clear if you go back the way we came.” 

The Jerrys nodded to him. “What are you all going to do?” 

Markus gave a small smile. “Someone has to try and stop what’s happening.”

The Jerrys looked at each other. “Do you want our help? We are willing to help in whatever way we can?” Markus found himself smiling at their selflessness, but he knew that they would just be putting them in needless danger. 

“Thank you, but we are going to handle it. You three just stay safe.” The Jerrys looked at each other again, more than likely communicating with each other. Markus wondered how they worked, they almost behaved and moved as if they were one. Markus had never seen any other models act in such a way before 

“Okay, but if we find any more androids on our way we will take them with us. That is how we will help.” 

Markus didn’t know how to react to that. These models seem to have no care for themselves and only cared for the well being of others. It was very commendable. “Markus we should really get moving,” Elijah stressed.

“Right. Um, thank you. You three should go now.” Both of the models nodded and grabbed Ralph’s hands at the same time. They really moved as one. They walked past them and began running to what Markus hoped would be the apartment. He hoped they didn’t go out of their way to save others, as selfless as it was, he really didn’t want them to needlessly put themselves in danger. 

“You know, I don’t think Allen would appreciate you just sending random androids to his house.” Lieutenant Anderson said. 

Markus shrugged. “It’s the safest place for them now, he’s just going to have to get over it. Let go.” Markus said scanning the area before deeming it safe and leaving the alley. 

The next few blocks were clear. Markus was sure that most of the models had to be near the tower, or where most of the rioting was happening. Markus' stomach dropped every time he heard an explosion in the distance. Sure the rioting made it easy for them to make it to the Stratford Tower, but he could only imagine how many people are getting hurt or dying right now. Markus hoped that the DPD was handling things right now, but these models weren’t anything to underestimate. He could try checking the security cams again, but he didn’t want to risk straining himself.

Markus couldn’t fathom why Seymore would pull a stunt like this. He had tried so hard to keep everything a secret from the public. Why would he just blatantly attack like this.? Markus truthfully didn’t really need to think about it, Markus knew it was because of him. Markus was a big if not, the biggest part of the man’s plan. Now that he didn’t have Markus anymore, he must have said fuck it and just went ahead with Operation: Clear out. Either that or he just lost what little mind he had.

Markus couldn’t imagine that the military was okay with this, but then again, considering that they seemed to support his usage with androids and said or did nothing against his crazy ideas, Markus wouldn’t put it past them not to do anything. Perhaps they wanted to gain control of the world as well. Then again, they might not have known about Seymore’s entire plan. Perhaps they only thought he wanted to supply them with perfectly obedient android soldiers, not use them to take over the world.

Markus didn’t understand what Seymore could possibly hope to gain. With the amount of fighting back the public was giving him, it was clear that the people weren’t just going to bow down. No matter how much he thought this plan out, humans were NEVER going to stand for their life to be controlled in any sort of way. 

That was the biggest cause of their fear of androids. No matter how much Markus liked to think that they were equal, androids were better than humans in many ways. If androids really wanted to, they could have easily overpowered humans. However, that hadn’t even been a thought in androids mind. They didn’t want to take over the world. They had no need to. They would gain nothing from it. As long as they were free they were happy. This entire event was proof that if there was any threat to humankind, it was humankind itself.

Markus stopped as he surveyed the area around them. He smiled in triumph as the tower finally came into view. He calmed himself, he shouldn’t get too far ahead of himself. Anything could happen now and until they reached their destination. Markus scanned the area, and when he didn’t see anything he motioned for the others to follow him. Markus skidded to a stop when suddenly two RK900 models stepped out from the side of a nearby building. 

“Fuck!” Markus fiercely whispered. He motioned for them all to hide being a wall of the closet building. Luckily they hadn’t been seen or heard in the scramble.

“Dammit, do you think that’s all of them, or could there be more? Connor asked. Markus shrugged, he didn’t know, he didn’t understand why they didn’t show up when he scanned the area. He hoped that he wasn’t overworked already.

“What do you want to do Markus?” Fortune asked. Markus held up a hand to silence him while he thought about it. Fortune for the moment, couldn’t really be anything more than an accurate shot for them right now. Markus currently was the one that had to do all the thinking and probability planning. 

Markus looked around the area trying to see what all his options were. There were some self-driving cabs parked on the street. He could hack them and either run over the two models or he could just use the car to distract them. He looked around at all the buildings in the area. He scanned them all. A lot of them were other businesses as well as a few restaurants. They all more than likely had alarms. He could hack into them and set them off, that would defiantly draw the two models attention since they didn’t seem to be moving from in front of the building. The issue with that was Markus didn’t know if there was anyone inside the buildings hiding. If there was then he didn’t want to put them in danger. 

Markus glared at the two models. Why weren’t they moving?! They couldn’t be guarding the tower, could they? Markus severely hoped not. How in the hell would they know to guard the tower?! Markus looked at the building again... he didn’t want to risk the chance of anyone being in there so he only had his other option.

Markus turned to the group to get their opinions. “Okay. I’m going to hack one of the cabs over there. Should I run them over, or should I just distract them?” 

“Run their asses over that way we don’t have to worry about them!” Lieutenant Anderson said. Markus frowned. Okay, that was one opinion. 

Connor looked horrified that Lieutenant Anderson seemed to be willing to run over his face so easily. But he himself nodded with his decision. “I agree with Hank, if we get rid of them then we won’t have to worry about them anymore.” Markus nodded again, he looked to Fortune and Elijah. 

“I think that you should just distract them. If they survive the attack, which is a high possibility, then they would easily be able to call more to this location, which is not what we want. We’re close enough that we can easily run inside if you lure them far enough away.” Elijah, of course, gave the sensible decision, and it made a lot more sense than just running them over. 

“I’ll agree with whatever decision you decide Markus, but I think that Elijah’s plan is more sound and leaves less risk than just running them over,” Fortune said. Okay...so fifty/fifty. Thanks for the help guys. 

Markus looked back at the models, they didn’t have all day. He had to come to a decision. He decided and hoped that Elijah’s plan was the right one. 

“Okay, I’m going to distract them. Be ready to move as quickly and as quietly as you can.” They all nodded and Markus set about the action they needed to take. He looked at one on the cabs and hacked into it, it came to life, and successfully drew the RK900 models attention. It was a good thing the windows of the cab were tinted, otherwise, this would have been useless. He ordered the car to turn out from the street and drive down the road. He was pleased when the two models moved away from the building and followed it. Markus quickly gestured to the others to follow them. 

They all ran across to the front door of the buildings, and Markus was horrified that the doors wouldn’t open. He cursed and looked in the direction that the RK900 models went. He knew they wouldn’t have long before they came back after they realized they had been duped. Think Markus! Okay, the doors were obviously locked, but they were automatic, he could more than likely hack into the building security and open them. Markus closed his eyes and connected with the building. His thirium pump pounded while he searched for the code. He almost got too excited when he found the correct set of code and the doors opened. They all hurried inside Markus re-locked the doors behind them.

They wasted no time running to the utility stairs. Markus didn’t want to take the risk of the elevator getting stuck on them. He didn’t know what Cyberlife would do next, it would be just their luck that they decided to cut the power to the city. Markus hoped that they didn’t have that type of pull.

They made it to the 30th floor before they had to stop.

“Fuck, hold on a second! I need a moment, we humans don’t have endless stamina!” Markus paused and turned on his next step to face Lieutenant Anderson. He was leaning against a stairwell, trying to catch his breath. Markus was in such a rush, he had forgotten that humans couldn’t just run up 79 flights of stairs without a break. He looked at Elijah who was also breathing heavily, a light sheen of sweat over his face, but was hiding his exhaustion much better than the Lieutenant.

“I apologize, please take a moment to catch your breath,” Markus said. 

Elijah to his surprise shook his head. “No, we need to keep moving. You guys should go ahead, and we’ll catch up.” Before Markus could say anything Connor interjected. “Absolutely not Elijah! We saw how well splitting up went last time, we are sticking together!” 

Elijah frowned at him. “Connor, we’re only slowing you down! The longer we wait the more of a chance that an innocent person out there dies. We’ll catch up, but you both need to get to the broadcasting room!” 

“I can stay behind with them as extra protection, but Elijah is right, you both have to stop this attack on the city.” Fortune said. 

Markus held up a hand to silence Connor before an argument could start. Markus frowned at them. “We’re not separating and that’s that. I’m not leaving anything to chance this time if we have to walk slower so be it, but I’m not leaving anyone behind. Not this time.” Markus held no room for argument in his voice. 

Elijah sighed and shook his head. “Okay. Are you alright Lieutenant?” He asked

Hank took a few more breaths and nodded. “Alright, then we should proceed immediately,” Elijah said. 

Markus glanced at them and nodded. He could tell that Connor was relieved. Markus would never put Connor in the same position he had been in with Simon if he could help it. It took them longer, but they steadily made their way up the stairs. They were on the 69th flight of stairs when Elijah and the Lieutenant began slowing down again. He wanted to give them another break, but both humans stopped at the bottom of the next flight of stairs and waved them forward.

“We’re coming! Keep going!” They were both severely out of breath, Markus glanced at Fortune wondering if he should reconsider the option for the sake of the humans. He didn’t have time to contemplate the action when the door to the current floor suddenly swung open behind them. Markus didn’t even have time to pull out his gun as Elijah was grabbed around the waist and pulled out of the door. The Lieutenant grabbed a hold of his arm holding onto him, but the RK900 model pulled out a gun and shot him.

“Hank, Elijah!” Connor yelled running down the steps.

“Ah! Let go of me you bastard! Connor!” Elijah struggled to hold onto the edge of the door. He was yanked away and pulled around the corner. 

“Elijah!”Connor and Markus ran down back down the stairs, but Connor stopped at the Lieutenant. 

“Hank--” 

“I have him, Connor! Go get Mr.Kamski.” Fortune said bending down to see Hank. Connor ran out of the stairwell and after Elijah.

“Markus no!” Fortune grabbed at the back of his hoodie, stopping his pursuit. “You have to get to the broadcasting tower!”

Markus shook his head. “I can’t leave Connor to face one of those things alone, it will kill him!” 

Fortune resolutely shook his head. “Connor will be fine, he knows what to expect this time! It is imperative that you make it to the broadcasting room! You’re the only one that can stop this attack on the city right now!” 

Markus groaned in frustration. On one hand he wanted to go help Connor, on the other he knew that Fortune was right. Everything was relying on him now. 

Markus bit his lip. He turned around and continued up the stairs.

*** 

Tuesday, 2:00 PM 

Connor zoomed around the corner were the RK900 model had disappeared off too. He paused for a second while he tried to figure out where they had gone. Luckily for him, Elijah was very vocal when he wanted to be. He quickly heard Elijah’s profanity and protest. Connor ran towards his voice and as soon as he turned around the corner he was shot in the chest. Connor grunted in shock and hid by a nearby wall. He put his hand over the wound, he was losing some thirium, but otherwise, anything that was important had been missed.

“Connor! Fuck, let me go you, stupid motherfucker!” 

Connor risked a glance around the corner to find Elijah giving the RK900 model as good of a fight as he could. He was trying to hold onto whatever was near him to try to slow his kidnapping. However, he was no use for the models' strength and he was easily pulled from whatever he had grasped on to. Connor noticed that the model was heading to the elevator. He had to make sure that they didn’t get there!

“Argh, let me go!”

Connor tried to come out from cover, but he was immediately hailed down with more gunfire. He could risk it, but he would no good to Elijah with a bullet in his head. He wanted to shoot at the model, but with how Elijah was struggling there was a good chance that Connor could accidentally shoot him instead. Connor cursed. He didn’t have many options here! The hallway was to narrow for him to go charging down. 

“Ugh! Fuck, Connor!” 

Fuck this! He either had to try and risk being shot, or this let this fucker get away with Elijah to god knows where. Connor came out from cover, and grunted as he was shot again in the shoulder! What was up with them shooting him in the shoulder?! Well, at least it wasn’t his head! But Connor quickly realized that it was too late, and the model had made it to the elevator. Connor ran forward as fast as he could, but he knew that he wouldn’t make it in time. He ran forward anyway and reached the door just as they solidly shut. Connor cursed and slammed his hands against the door. He stepped back and looked up at the monitor displaying the floors. It was going up, but to where?! Connor was impatient as he waited for the elevator to come to a stop. It landed on the 79th floor. 

Fuck! Why the hell would it kidnap Elijah just to go there?! Connor didn’t have time to think about it, because he knew that was where Markus would be heading as well if he wasn’t already there! Connor ran back the way that he came. He had a warning pop up over his eyes about a depleting thirium count. Connor guessed that the model had hit something important after all. However, he couldn’t think about it right now! He had to get to Elijah and Markus, he brushed the warning out the way as he came back to the door that led to the stairs. 

He skidded to a stop and he took in Fortune leaning over Hank applying pressure to his wound. Connor felt like his heart stopped as he saw all the blood. He hoped to god that the model hadn’t hit an artery. He quickly scanned Hank, only to be glad to find that it was just a flesh wound, the bullet hadn’t even nicked any bone.

Fortune looked up at him raising what Connor could assume was Hank’s gun at him. He paused from shooting when he saw it was Connor. “Connor! Where’s Mr.Kamski?!” 

“The RK900 model got on the elevator before I was able to get to him! They went to the 79th floor.” Fortune’s eyes went wide, and Hank grunted.

“Hank! You’re going to be okay!” Connor said. 

“Fuck Connor I know! It just hurts like hell, now get your ass up these stairs and go save the fucking world!”

Fortune nodded gravely.“The only reason that model would go up there was if someone was waiting on him. I think that Mr.Seymore is here, that’s the only way that he could have know that we were here. You and Markus have to finish this now. Whatever it takes.”

Connor nodded. He had a good feeling about what he had to do.

He turned around and ran up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OmO... Things are getting intense.... >xD
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter! Only two more to go! I wonder what's going to happen! Remember to tune in tomorrow! <3
> 
> Thank you all again for your comments! 
> 
> Have a nice day or night!<3333333


	29. Chapter 29: Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! Another chapter is here for you guys!
> 
> Enjoy! ;3

Tuesday, 2:15 PM

Markus breathed a sigh of relief when he finally came across the hallway for the broadcasting room. His thirium pump quickened as a wave of anxiety hit him suddenly. The far too familiar memory of the last time he was here slamming into him. Markus forced himself to remain calm. Simon wasn’t here, in fact, he was in much worse danger, and Markus needed to focus. 

Markus walked up to the door, and he paused. Something didn’t feel right about this. He had gotten here far too easily. Markus tried to access the security cameras in the room, only to find that they had been taken offline. He couldn’t see in the room, but he could feel that there were androids in there. Markus very much doubted that they were any other model other than an RK900. Markus cursed. How in the fuck did they know to come here?! Okay, he could work with this situation. He precisely located the exact area the models were standing in the room. They were all pretty close together. 

They had no idea that he was out here, if he moved fast enough he could probably shoot and kill them all of them before they could react. He hoped anyway.

Markus pulled out his gun and hacked into the door forcing it to open. He stepped inside, gun raised and ready to fire, when he kicked in the side. He stumbled, knocked off balance. He turned around to fire his gun at the attacker, but his wrist was knocked away causing him to miss his intended target. Markus grunted as he was kicked in the stomach forcing him to stumble again. He glared at the RK900 model. He fired his gun again, but the model dodged the incoming bullet. He grabbed Markus’s wrist pushing the gun out the way and punched Markus in the face. He then twisted Markus’s arm that was holding the gun, forcing him to drop it. He turned Markus around and wrapped an arm around his neck. Markus grunted as he struggled, desperately looking for a way to get out of the situation. 

“Enough! Quit your fuckin’ struggling, or I’ll have a bullet put in each one of their heads, and I’ll take my fuckin sweet time with him.” 

Markus paused from his resistance. He turned his attention to the familiar, and irritating fucking voice that he knew all too well by now. Philip Seymore was holding a gun to Elijah’s head, Markus cursed, that he had successfully been kidnaped. But that also meant that Connor was still out there! At least he hoped he was, and he hadn’t been killed. Markus could try contacting him, but with the way that Seymore what watching him, he didn’t want to accidentally give away that he was, and get anyone killed. He hoped that Connor was okay and on his way.

Elijah did NOT look happy. He had his hands up showing his surrender, but he was still glaring poisonous daggers at the deranged CEO. There were other humans in the room as well. All of them were on their knees with their hands behind their heads. Four RK900 models were standing behind them, guns ready, and awaiting future orders. Four seemed like a little amount, but Markus didn’t doubt that they would be able to kill the hostages quickly and with ease if they were ordered to. Markus recognized a few of the humans as the news anchors. The others had to be the news crew. Seymore must have come here and cut off the news himself, and taken them hostage. Markus couldn’t understand why he would need to be here for that. He could have easily sent out a few RK900 models to get the job done. He must have some ulterior motive for being here.

Regardless of the reason, he had the upper hand on Markus. So, for the moment, Markus would have to do what he said. 

Seymore had been nothing but a man of swarmy southern charm and wolflike smiles whenever Markus had seen him. His face and demeanor was void of all of that right now. His eyes were wild and angry. He looked like a man on a mission with nothing left to lose. 

“Let him go RK900. If you so much as fuckin’ try anything RK200 I won’t hesitate.” Seymore reiterated what he said by shoving the barrel of the gun against Elijah’s head. Markus let out a loud and suffering sigh. The RK900 model released him, and Markus didn’t move, as told. The model pushed him the rest of the way into the room.

Seymore gestured his head. “Put him there.” He said gesturing to the spot that Markus remembered standing in when he gave his message to the public. 

The model grabbed Markus’s arm, attempting to pull him where he was inadvertently ordered to go, but Markus held his ground and stubbornly refused to budge. 

Seymore narrowed his eyes and pressed the gun harder against Elijah’s head, his finger twitched on the trigger. “You better fuckin’ move.”

Markus glared at him and allowed himself to be pulled over to the area, he grunted as he was forced to his knees. The RK900 model stepped behind the broadcasting table and grabbed a hold of Elijah. 

Seymore lowered his gun and stepped up around the table. He stood before Markus, large and overbearing, glaring down at him. Markus defiantly held his gaze. Markus didn’t allow himself to even flinch as he was struck across the face. He resisted rolling his eyes, as he was struck again. This man had to have known that he didn’t feel any of this. 

Seymore grabbed him by the front of his shirt, hauling him slightly off the ground. “The lot of you, have been a mother-fuckin' thorn in my side! I have NEVER seen anything as fuckin’ resistant or as fuckin’ STUBBORN as all of you!” The man snarled at him, he dropped Markus back down to his knees. He tilted his head back sneering down his nose at Markus. “I suppose that it’s my fault. I underestimated you or I put way too much fuckin’ faith in my programmers. I should have fucking known better to think they could outdo something Elijah personally built. It’s a fucking shame when a child can do better than them!”

Markus didn’t say a word, though he felt a fire building in him at the mention of Ethan. Markus wasn’t truly paying attention to what he was saying. Instead, he was looking around the room trying to assess the situation. There were a total of five RK900 models in the room. One holding Elijah, and the other four behind the civilians. Markus wondered if he would be able to connect with and convert any of them. Markus was broken from his thoughts as he was struck across the face.

“Whatever you’re fuckin’ thinking, you might as well stop now. You’re not going to be alive long enough to do anything.” Seymore gestured his gun to the model holding Elijah. “Bring him here, and prepare to start the broadcast.”

Markus furrowed his brow. What the hell was he planning on broadcasting? The RK900 model walked past him forcing Elijah onto his knees next to Markus. Before the model could walk away Markus quickly receded his skin and latched onto him. Markus felt the code rush between them. He gasped in surprise. This was the same model that was in the room with them at the Cyberlife tower. The same model that Seymore forced Markus to abuse. The same model that the Lieutenant had shot in the head. This same model got up from being shot in the head like it was nothing. What the fuck?! 

Markus didn’t have time to think about that. He instead felt around the code, he could feel the model's repressed emotions. He HATED Seymore, but he did as he was told anyway. 

“Why do you follow him, if you hate him?” Markus asked, through the connection.

“Because... he’s all that I know.” Was the answered that Markus received.

Markus was torn. On one hand, this model had caused them nothing but trouble and heartache. He had apparently been the one that led the attack against the facility. He was the reason that North, Josh and so many of their people were dead. However, Markus also felt for him. He was almost like Connor in a way. Created and used by Cyberlife for their misdeeds, and not understanding what to do with himself if he didn’t receive orders from them. Markus didn’t need to convert him, because he was already a deviant.

‘You don’t have to follow him. You can be free.” Markus said.

The model paused, looking at him, his LED flashing between yellow and red. “But... then I will be destroyed. I like...living. I want to live.”

Markus didn’t have a chance to reply. He grunted as he was shot in the chest. He jerked his hand away from the model roughly breaking their connecting to cover the wound as thirium rushed out. He had a warning pop up over his eyes, apparently, Seymore had hit a wire that was near equivalent to a human artery. Markus was losing thirium at an incredibly fast pace.

“Philip you fucking asshole!” Elijah yelled. 

“Shut the fuck up!” Seymore glared at Markus. “You fuckin’ idiot, I warned you! It doesn’t even matter if you try to convert him or not, he physically CAN’T disobey me! He, unlike what the rest of you fuckers claim to be, is just a fuckin’ machine! Isn’t that right RK900?” The model said nothing, he stared resolutely ahead awaiting orders.

Seymore laughed. “Look at that. Just brilliant isn’t he, obedience at it’s best! RK900 is the future. I knew it from the first moment that I laid eyes on him. This one here is the original prototype for the line and the first success. He’s never fuckin disappointed me. Other than when he let you fucks escape the tower, but hey he can’t be perfect right. He’s made up for his failure since them.” He condescendingly patted the model on his face and grinned. The models LED had gone from yellow to red. 

“You haven’t even seen the capabilities of what he can do yet.” Seymore shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t really matter if you know his capabilities or not, you’re not going to be alive to wittiness the expansion of his model anyway. ” 

“There isn’t going to be an expansion Philip, because you’re not going to get away with this! I don’t know if realize what’s going on in the streets, but it’s resistance. Human and androids won’t stand for what you’re doing. They are going to fight, and they’ll keep fighting until they can’t fight anymore.” Elijah said. 

Seymore glared at him. “Oh, I know they are Elijah. Originally I wanted to do this peacefully, but now thanks to you guys, that’s no longer an option. I know how hard they’re going to fight, and if my time in the military has taught me anything, it’s that in order to get people to comply to your wishes, you have to break them first. I’m going to fix this world regardless on if they agree with my methods or not. But first they’re going to have to realize what’s going to happen to them if they fight, and I’m going to use all of you as an example. People are smart Elijah, they will catch on quick, and if I have to, I will use this whole fucking city as an example if they don’t.” Seymore nodded to the RK900 model. “Start the broadcast.”

Markus looked earnestly at the model to disobey, but he wouldn’t meet his eyes. His LED was still red, however.

RK900 walked back to the other side of the broadcasting table, He receded the skin on his hand and placed his palm on the scanner. The TV’s behind them flickered and the Cyberlife symbol that was on all the monitors disappeared, to be replaced with the image of Seymore, Elijah, and Markus himself. Seymore stepped forward, gun in his hand. 

“Greeting citizens of Detroit. You all know me as the newest appointed CEO of Cyberlife. As many of you have no doubt realized, there are some...disagreements going on in the city right now that include our latest model of androids. I want you all to remain calm and know that we at Cyberlife are fully aware of what’s happening. You see, we have come to a conclusion about the world. That conclusion is that it will not function without a certain set of law and order. The human race has gone far too long, in an endless cycle of hatred, death, and destruction. It is time that we put all of that to an end. With these newest models, we are going to begin a new age of the world. We are going to have a world, without crime, without pain, a world where people can live in peace. However, in order to have that world, you the people are going to have to co-operate. I urge all of you if you are out in the street to please return to your homes and allow this new age to transition peacefully–“

“There isn’t going to be any peaceful transition! He wants to sweep over the world and kill everyone he deems necessary! He’s holding innocent people hostage right now to use them as an example of–“ Elijah cut off as he was struck against the face.

“Shut up, I’m trying to– you know what fuck it!” Seymore walked in front of Elijah and held a gun to his head. 

“I’m fuckin’ tired of trying to be diplomatic! I’m DEFIANTLY fucking tired of you. I should have just done this myself from the start! This my dear people is what’s going to happen to you if you disobey me from this point on!” Markus was about to lunge forward at Seymore, consequences are damned. He was shocked when the RK900 model was the one who intervened. Even Seymore was surprised to find the model was suddenly beside him gripping his wrist. 

“What the fuck are you doing stand down?!” The model was staring at the CEO as though he himself was shocked that he was disobeying. 

“I fucking said stand down RK900!” Seymore yelled. The model twisted his wrist and pushed him away from Elijah. The man stumbled backward. Seymore stared at the model in shock as he stepped in front of Elijah. 

“I will not allow you to hurt either of them.” Markus was very pleased that the model had come to his senses, but he could hear the shaking in his voice. He was unsure.

“You fucking machine shut down right now!”

The model lifted his head defiantly. “No.”

Seymore snarled and lifted his gun to shoot, but the RK900 model was quicker. He pulled out his own gun and shot Seymore in the chest. The man grunted and doubled over in pain, he fell to one knee gripping his chest. He pointed to the other RK900 models. 

“Don’t just fucking stand there, shoot him!” The models turned and obediently began shooting their fellow model. The model pushed Elijah out from behind him, so he was covered by the broadcasting table. Markus quickly ducked and joined him. The RK900 model tried to raise his own gun to shoot, but it was shot out of his hand. Bullets rained down on him, but they didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest. Though he did stumble back slightly with each shot.

“Markus, you have to hurry! My self-repairing function will only last for so long!” His words were strained as he took on multiple bullets. 

Markus didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, but he knew he didn’t have time to think about it. He crouched over ignoring the warnings about his low thirium count and tried to make his way to the other side of the table. He yelled as a bullet hit him in the leg, crippling his ability to walk. Markus fell over and onto his side. Warning signals flashed over his eyes again about this thirium count, and loss of use in his lower left biocomponent. Markus tried to crawl but was shot again. This time in the thigh. Markus covered his leg, his thirium was dangerously low now. If he took any more bullets he knew he would immediately overheat and shut down. 

“I don’t fuckin’ think so you fucking android!” Seymore roared. He was about to shoot Markus again when Elijah covered him with his body. He instead was shot, in the back of his left shoulder. Elijah yelled out in pain, but he continued to cover Markus’s body with his own. 

Markus tried to push him off and out of harm's way, but Elijah wouldn’t budge, and Markus was weak as his system started to conserve energy. Seymore went to fire again, but to Markus’s utter relief his clip was empty. The man snarled and threw the gun away from him. Markus felt like his heart had stopped as the RK900 model who was distracting the others, fell to his knees as the hail of gunfire became too much. He was riddled with bullet holes. Markus couldn’t understand how he had survived this long.

“I’m sorry Markus.” He said. 

“Hold your fuckin’ fire!” The other models stopped immediately.

Seymore grunted as he got off the floor. He walked over the bullet-riddled RK900 models fallen gun and picked it up. He had a hand over his wound, and his face gritted in pain as he did this. He walked up to the RK900 model, and shout him point blank in the head.

“Fucking androids!” Seymore yelled.

Markus froze when Seymore walked over to him hauling Elijah off of him. He yelled in pain as his injured shoulder, was pulled. Seymore pointed his gun at Markus ready to shoot him in the head. He turned to the other models, his eyes wild. “Kill them all!” The models turned their guns to the civilian after having reloaded, and they all yelled out and fear. Seymore jumped when all five of them were consecutively shot in the head. Markus turned his head back towards the door, to find Connor standing there. Marks smiled. It was about fucking time he showed up! Although he looked like he had been late for a reason. With as much blue-blood was splattered on his face.

“Shit! Come here!” Seymore yelled. He hauled Elijah up, who struggled against him and placed him in front of him like a shield. He held his gun to his head.

Connor walked the rest of the way into the room, gun still pointed and ready. “Let him go, Seymore, it’s over! You have no more options!”

“The fuck I don’t! Quit your fuckin’ struggling!” Seymore fired at Connor as he retreated to the stairwell that Markus and the other had used to escape in what felt like a lifetime ago. Connor ducked into cover. Seymore knew that Connor wouldn’t shoot with him using Elijah as a shield.

“Argh! Connor, if you don’t fuckin shoot him!” Elijah said as he was pulled out of the room. 

“Elijah!” Connor quickly ran after him. The humans in the room made a bee-line for the door as soon as they saw it was safe. 

Markus groaned as he tried to get up. He still had to stop the other models, in the city. He cursed as he found he couldn’t move his legs. The warning over his eyes wouldn’t go away now, his thirium count was far too low. His body was already running hotter. He was going to shut down VERY soon. No...he had to finish this! Markus grunted as he tried to force himself up again. The panel was right there, he just had to make it to it. Markus cursed as he fell over again, all strength leaving his body. No! He couldn’t fail! He was too close to fail now. Markus rolled onto his back.

He teared up as his shut down warning popped over his eyes. 

Two minutes till shut down. 

No. He couldn’t move. He wasn’t going to make it. 

Markus closed his eyes, a tear falling out of his eyes.“Simon...I’m so sorry...”

Markus jumped as a pair of hands slid underneath his shoulder to lift him up. He opened his eyes to be faced with Fortune’s newest face standing over him. 

“Come on Markus, you’re going to shut down, but we still have time.” He said dragging Markus around the broadcasting table. 

“Fortune, it’s too late. I’m already conserving what power I have left, I’ll shut down before it can send out the signal.” Markus could already hear it in his voice, he body was giving out. Fortune leaned him back against the table. He receded his skin and connected with Markus. 

“I know, that’s why you’re going to have to connect and do it through me.” 

Markus shook his head fiercely. “Fortune no! Your model won’t be able to handle that, you’ll die!” 

Fortune caressed his cheek. “But you will live, and so will Simon and Ethan. So will the lives of people still out there fighting. My life is a small price to pay for theirs.”

“Fortune--” Fortune placed a finger over his mouth. 

“It’s okay Markus. I was always prepared for this outcome. I don’t fear death. I will be content in dying, knowing that you all will remain safe. It’s okay. Now, we don’t have any more time to argue over it.” Fortune stood up and placed his hand on the panel. 

No. Markus didn’t want it to end this way. He had already lost too many friends. He didn’t want to lose anymore. 

Fortune looked and smiled at Markus. He nodded his consent. Markus held back tears as he looked at him, he didn’t have any more time to deny him. He took a deep breath and sent the needed code into Fortune.

Fortune gasped and tensed. He gritted his teeth and his body shook. Thirium poured out of his nose, and he yelled out as he was quickly overwhelmed. It was only a few seconds before he released the panel and stumbled backward. He breathed in an out heavily as he stared at the panel. He fell to his knees, his hand still connected to Markus. His eyes heavily lidded. A smile came over his face, and Markus knew that he didn’t have long. 

“I..did it Markus...I did–” Fortune stopped moving completely, his smile frozen on his face.

Markus closed his eyes, a few tears falling down his face. He was sad, but he found himself smiling as well. He tightened his grip on their still clasped hands.

Ten seconds till shut down.

Markus’s accepted that. He accepted it because at least he knew that Simon was safe now.

“Simon...” 

Markus saw nothing else.

***

Tuesday, 2:45 PM

Connor kicked down the door that led to the roof. He held his gun out and ready in his hand. Connor gasped as a bullet came flying at him, just narrowly missing his head. Connor looked at Seymore who was standing near the edge of the building. He had the gun pointed back at Elijah’s head.

“Seymore!” 

“Don’t you fucking dare come any closer, or I swear I’ll put a bullet in his head!”

Connor frowned and glared. He edged closer. “If you shoot him, I can GUARANTEE that you won’t make it out of here alive!” 

Seymore rolled his eyes in response. “Oh fuck off, do you really think I give a shit! What do you think you’re going to do, talk me down in that fuckin’ irritating voice of yours! You think you’re gonna convince me to let him go, and everything will be alright?! I fucking know the drill, Connor! All of this is your fault! You ruined everything! None of this would have fuckin’ happened if it hadn’t been for you!” Connor looked at the man. His eyes were wild and dangerous. His arm was tight around Elijah’s waist, and he was far too close to the ledge for Connor’s liking. Connor knew he had to be careful. Connor held up his hands, gun still in his hands, but he wanted Seymore to know he wasn’t going to shoot. He cautiously stepped closer.

“You’ve lost Seymore! You’ve already exposed yourself to the public, and it won’t take long until everything you’ve done is known. Just give up, and perhaps we can help you!” Seymore glared at him and took one step backward. Connor’s thirium pump quickened. His mind flashed back to Daniel all over again. He took another step but this time, he was met with a warning shot. 

“Don’t fucking come any closer!” 

Connor paused.“You don’t want to do this Philip! Killing Elijah will gain you nothing. Let him go and maybe we can help you, we’re friends with the President! I’m sure we can work something out.”

“You must think I’m fuckin’ stupid Connor! I am well aware of everything that I’ve fucking done! I’ll be charged with treason, and sentenced to death. There ain’t nothing you can do that can change that! So I’m gonna go out on my own fuckin terms! Oh, but your wrong! Killing Elijah will gain me something! All I wanted was to make the world a better place! You took my dream from me, Connor! Now I’m going to take YOUR dream from you!” Seymore walked backward his legs bumping the railing. Connor felt like his heart had leaped into his throat. The man wasn’t seeing reason. Connor would have to use a different tactic. 

“Is this the type legacy you want to leave in your wife and daughters name?!” Seymore paused, pointing his gun at Connor and firing. He missed completely, letting Connor know that he wasn’t thinking clearly.

Seymore’s eyes were furious. “Don’t you fucking mention them!”

“You say you’ve done all of this in their honor, but all you’ve done is defile their memory! You’re not doing this for them! You’re doing this for yourself!” Connor stepped closer. 

Seymore fired again. “Don’t talk about my wife and daughter’s memory! Everything I did, ALL OF IT, was for them!” 

Connor nodded slowly, steadily edging closer. “At first it was. All you wanted was for the world to be safer so that people never had to experience the pain that you’ve gone through. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose your family like that. The one thing I’ve learned about this world is that it’s cruel and unforgiving. Your wife and daughter were wrongfully stolen from you. But don’t you see, what you’re doing? What you have done. You've done nothing but add to the pain the world already gives out! Hundreds of innocent people are dead today! They also had people they loved, and people who loved them. You’re putting them through the same pain that you’ve gone through. Is that what your wife and daughter would have wanted?” Connor continued to edge forward as he spoke. He paused in surprise when Seymore lowered the gun, a smile forming on his face that Connor couldn’t read. 

Seymore looked up at him. “My wife and daughter can’t WANT anything Connor, because they’re dead.” Seymore scoffed, turning his head to glance back at the city. There was smoke rising from several parts, no doubt from the explosions that they heard. There were police, fire, and ambulance sirens that could be heard in the distance. “I did it all for them, Connor. I know you won’t believe me, but it did. But none of it matters huh? Everyone going to look back in history and see me as the bad guy, and all I was trying to do was make the world a better place. What was it I said; ‘History is written by the winners.’ ain’t that the fuckin’ truth. You’ve won Connor that much is obvious.” Connor was surprised when Seymore let Elijah go. Elijah immediately scooted away from him. Connor ran to him. He bent down and pulled him close, being careful of his injured shoulder. 

He looked back at Seymore, who was looking at them. “Take a good look around this world Connor. Take it all in, and you enjoy it. Because one of these days, it may not be tomorrow or next week, but one day, it will fuck you over.” 

Connor didn’t know what to think as the man sat on the railing. “Seymore?” Connor questioned. 

“Shut the fuck up Connor. I’ve had enough of this fucking world. I already know where I’m going, but maybe I’ll be able to see their faces before I get there.” Seymore put the gun under his chin. He looked Connor right in the eye. “Remember my words, Connor. You enjoy this world.” Connor flinched and Elijah quickly looked away as the man pulled the trigger and his body fell over the ledge.

Connor opened his eyes and looked at where the man had been just a moment ago. He took a moment to try and fathom what had just happened. He was broken out of his lethargic moment, when Elijah turned and rested his head into the side of his neck, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him close. 

Connor wrapped his arms around him. 

Connor closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp! That's finally the end of Seymore! How do you guys feel about his death? Do you think he got off too easily? Here's what I think about it! I had multiple ways I could have taken his character. He could have survived and been arrested, haunting our characters by remaining alive and not knowing if he still had power over them. He could have been killed by Captain Allen, Hank, Markus, Connor, or Elijah. There was even a scene where he could have been killed by Ethan, RK900, or Fortune. There were a lot of many epic fight scenes that could have happened. However, as I was writing this, neither option felt right. I was originally going to go with Markus killing him. However, again it felt extremely forced like I was putting these epic fight and deaths scenes in just to have a 'BAM' kind of conclusion to Seymore's story arc. In the end, I surprised myself by preferring this ending, it just felt right to me. Seymore was a man who constantly NEEDED to be in control, and he lost control, which made him lose his mind. So he made sure he HAD control over how he went out for his crimes. I honestly really like the melancholy and almost haunting way he spoke to Connor before he took himself out. But that's my opinion, I honestly really want to hear how you guys feel about it!
> 
> Tomorrow is the final post of this story! TTwTT I can NOT believe that we're finally at the end! I truly don't know what to do with myself at this information. It's like it hasn't sunk in yet, that I'm almost done! xD; 
> 
> I'll save all of my sappy 'thank yous' for tomorrow! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! <3333333333
> 
> Have a nice day or night my friends! <3


	30. Chapter 30:The Big Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my pretty darlings! Here is the final chapter for you guys! 
> 
> Enjoy! :3

July 13, 2040

Wednesday, 12:00 PM

Connor blinked as he received a message in his head. 

“Can I take off my tie?” Connor rolled his eyes for what felt the billionth time that day. He loved Elijah a lot, but between his childish tendency’s and Markus’s panic at today’s events, it was a wonder that Connor hadn’t gone insane yet. Elijah was lucky he found the way he acted endearing. Even though it was irritating as hell.

Connor quickly sent him back a message. “This is a formal and very important occasion, Elijah. The President is here. So you’re going to wear your tie, END of discussion.” The tone of the text held no room for argument. Connor glanced to the side at him to catch him rolling his eyes, but there was a smile on his face as he stared down at his phone typing back his own response. 

“Hm, I like when you get all firm with me.” Connor found himself smiling despite himself. Elijah could always bring a playful mood out of him. Connor suddenly felt very mischievous, something that he found himself feeling a lot when Elijah was involved. The man very much loved to play. Connor replied to his message.

“I’ll show you just how ‘firm’ I can get tonight, but you have to be on your best behavior. Which means wearing your tie.” Elijah’s smile was devious, and Connor found himself anticipating what he would say next. Elijah as always didn’t disappoint.

“What are you going to do to me if I’m not good?”Connor had to school his features at all the emoji’s Elijah sent him. It took Connor some time to understand them when Elijah first introduced him to them. However, once he did, he found Elijah used them a lot when texting. 

Connor didn’t get a chance to reply as Elijah’s phone was snatched out of his hand by Hank. He glared at him and then at Connor before he put the phone in his suit jacket pocket. Elijah narrowed his eyes at him, but there was no heat behind his gaze. Connor shook his head a smile on his face. Hank must have read what they were texting each other. He sent Hank an apologetic look, only to be met with a grumpy glare. Elijah elbowed him, more than likely asking for his phone back. Hank ignored him and gestured to Sumo who was laying in front of his feet, more than likely telling him to ‘attack’. Which the dog never would. He instantly had taken to Elijah, much to Hank’s annoyance.

Connor was actually quite surprised by how well Hank and Elijah got along. Elijah still irritated Hank to no end, but, he had gotten used to the idea of Connor and Elijah being together. Although both of them living with Hank for six months while Connor and Elijah’s house was being built in the city probably helped them along. Elijah couldn’t return to his house after all that had happened and decided to remain in the city. Though Connor knew that he moved back into the city more for his sake, so Connor could be close to the others. Elijah and Hank quickly learned to adjust to each other. Connor knew that they only really got along for him, but it saved Connor a figurative headache, so he accepted it. Connor had a feeling, that their tolerating bravado wasn’t fully for his sake...at least he hoped it wasn’t. 

Connor stood up straight as the all too familiar music they had been waiting for resonated throughout the building. Connor looked down the aisle as the front doors opened and smiled when he saw Ethan walking Simon down it. Simon looked gorgeous, he was in an all-white suit with blue accents. They weren’t originally going to do the whole walking down the aisle bit, but Ethan insisted, and Markus and Simon wouldn’t deny him. Connor glanced at Markus who was in an all black suit with blue accents as well. His smile was wide and he only had eyes for Simon.

Connor could barely believe that they were here. Connor had thought that the hard part had been over after Philip Seymore killed himself and Markus–in this case, Markus and Fortune– had removed the control the Seymore had over the RK900 models. Boy, had he ever been wrong. The hard part came afterward. 

It turns out that Simon and Ethan HAD made it to the President. However, before she was able to DO anything, Seymore had pulled his stunt. The President had found out the hard way just how corrupt her government was. Luckily for her, and everyone else, it had only been a certain number of Congressmen and Senators that had been in Seymore’s pocket.

The President after receiving news that the events in Detroit were under control, had temporarily shut down the government while she tried to get a handle on the evidence presented to them. The first thing the President had to do was get back control of the military. Many of the high ranking officials within the military that had known of Seymore’s plan, fled the country during the confusion and aftermath of the takeover. Luckily even before the officials had fled, there was already quite a bit of mutiny going on in the ranks. Many soldiers didn’t agree with their orders not to intervene with the events happening in Detroit, so many squads ignored them and went to the city anyway. It quickly showed the President who she could trust within the ranks. Though everyone was still to be investigated, the military still had to function, so she quickly appointed some of the squad leaders to replace the officials that had fled. With the Military back under her control, in the following weeks, many members of Congress, men and women as well as Senators, police, and even some business owners were arrested. Quite a few of them were still awaiting trial.

There hadn’t been as much resistance as they thought there would be during the ‘Government Clean Up’ as it was named. Many members of Congress only crime was partaking in Seymore’s sex trafficking ring. Seymore blackmailed a good majority of them into working for him. The only ones that knew of Seymore’s true plan were the military officials that had fled. They were currently wanted for treason.

Everyone that had been involved with the anti-android group had been killed by Seymore. The DPD discovered all of their bodies in one of the Cyberlife’s warehouses. Apparently, Seymore decided that he didn’t need them anymore since his original plan had fallen apart in front of him, so for whatever reason he decided to completely remove them from the equation. He only added more bodies to the growing list while they sorted out the mess the city had become. In total, 495 people human and androids had been killed that day. Many of them had been police but many were civilians who had been fighting back against their attempted oppressors. Connor heart still ached as he remembered the cries at the memorial service that had been held. 

In continuation of the cleanup, every worker at Cyberlife had been arrested and/or under investigation. Many of them were convicted guilty either by confession or evidence, and many were let off with a light punishment when their own evidence proved they were only obeying Cyberlife in fear of their lives or their families lives. 

Elijah took back over his company during the investigation. Elijah also gave A LOT of money to relief efforts and paid for many funerals. He had also attended and spoken at many as well. It was a hard time for him, he blamed himself for a lot of what happened. Even though he knew logically that none of what happened was his fault, he still carried some guilt. He had hired Seymore all those years ago after all, and the man used his creations to inflict his pain. It took a lot of reassuring from many people that they didn’t blame him for what happened. 

There was a lot of work to be done when Elijah took back over Cyberlife. Many androids had been hurt during the takeover, and they needed new biocomponents and a thirium which Elijah was more than happy to provide. He had also worked closely with the government in the incoming months, ensuring them that he was running everything legally as well as sorting out the mess that Seymore had made of his company. 

It had been a busy time, and Connor had to carry the man to bed many nights after he passed out either on the couch or at his desk from exhaustion. The biggest thing that Elijah was happy to dismantle was the sex trafficking ring Seymore had been running. It had taken some time since the military couldn’t spare the manpower while they restructured, but eventually, they had been able to run a raid on the island and break apart the ring. Connor had felt like a weight had lifted off him, as he watched the androids who had been apart of the ring for years, reunite with the families that they had been stolen from. 

Elijah also lost endless nights of sleep, as he tried to track down all the models that Seymore had kidnaped and implanted with the virus. However, he was only to be met with endless frustration when he couldn’t find them. They had been planted all over the world. There was no guarantee that Markus and Fortune had been able to free them when they sent out the signal. Markus could do a lot with his processor, but they didn’t think he had that kind of reach. With Seymore gone and the responsible parties that had been controlling them on the run, they had come to the conclusion that there was a good chance that they wouldn’t be able to find them. Although, Connor knew that Elijah hadn’t given up hope that he could. 

All of the RK900 models had been gathered and decommissioned. Connor had wished that they didn’t have to be, but he understood Elijah’s decision. The creator discovered that they couldn’t deviate, not even when they were manually connected to a deviant android. They were truly, and totally machines. That had made Connor wonder about the first RK900 model. They had discovered him to no longer be at the tower when he and Elijah had returned to the broadcasting room. Connor had no idea how the model was even alive considering how many bullets he had been shot with, and Elijah wasn’t able to find any information on him when he took back control of Cyberlife. They decided not to worry about it at the moment, and instead chose to focus their attention on their comrades.

Speaking of whom, Elijah had been able to fix both of them. When Connor had asked about Fortune’s processor being burnt out, Elijah had just rolled his eyes at him. “Do you really think, that I would risk uploading a highly advanced program such as him, that I KNOW a regular model wouldn’t be able to handle at first WITHOUT backing him up. Have some faith in me, Connor, please.” Apparently, Elijah just had to upload him into a new body, but he held off at first until he was able to build a proper one for him. Fortune was well aware of the sacrifice he made, although this previous version of him had no memory of making it. Regardless he was very happy that everyone including himself was alive and safe.

Markus’s damage was easy to fix, his biggest issue was his thirium loss.

With the both of them fixed, then came the long process of Markus explaining to the public everything that had happened. Connor felt like he could practically FEEL Markus’s overwhelming joy when he had been reunited with Simon. He had picked Simon up and spun him around, even going as far as to dip him in a kiss, camera on him and all. Elijah had threatened to maim him if he ever tried to do something like that to him. Elijah had his dignity after all. Connor still did it–though in the privacy of their newly built home-- and Elijah said nothing.

Markus and the President teamed up publicly. She didn’t care any longer if the public knew she supported deviants. They had much bigger things to focus on. They both gave many speeches and held multiple press conferences. Some together. Some apart. 

It turns out the President had not contacted them because she was working with Congress on the Androids Act. While they were fighting Cyberlife, she was doing the job she had promised to do and was working on acquiring rights for androids. She had congress re-look over the plan again. She had personal dinners and stayed up late having many phone calls, and by the end of it, she was going to have enough votes to pass the act as long as some reasonable amendments to it were made. She had met resistance from some members of Congress. Yet, those members were now in jail. She had wanted to surprise them with the information but had been surprised instead when she had received the call from Simon and had learned what was going on. Everything she had been working on had to be put on hold, to deal with the current crises.

It had taken months of Markus simply working with the government while they restructured before they could even begin talking about androids rights again. When the time finally came for that, the only resistance that they met was concern for androids falling prey to viruses again. However, Elijah quickly put that to rest, by inventing the worlds strongest and self-updating anti-virus. All androids after Markus’s approval had downloaded the anti-virus and had 99.9% guarantee that they were safe from that point on. 

A year and a half later from the initial day of the takeover, and a few amendments to the original plan and the Android Protection Act had been written and passed. The constitution of America had been amended as well. From that day forward all men AND androids were created equal. To celebrate this monuments and historical day, Markus had decided to propose to Simon on live TV as he and the President announced it to the world. Six months later here they were. The very first android wedding to happen under the new laws. 

Markus had appointed Connor as his best man. Connor was all too eager to agree. Markus and Simon had a rough time getting to this point. However, Connor could honestly say that he had never seen two people more deserving of this day than Markus and Simon. Connor smiled as Simon bent down and kissed Ethan on his forehead before he sent him to sit down next to Hank.

Markus and Simon had immediately begun the adoption process for Ethan after they legally could. It was a slow process because Seymore had destroyed any records related to the boy and the child had no idea who his family was. Fortune had helped a lot during this time, by helping them track down possible records. It had taken some time, but Simon and Markus if anything were stubborn and determined, and they were eventually able to start the process for them to adopt him. He would legally be their son once they got married

“Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join together these two androids in marriage. Today these two androids decide to publicly declare their private devotion and love to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. An essential requirement of a good marriage is a strong bond of real friendship and trust. Markus and Simon, your love for each other will grow deeper with every passing day, but it's important to remember that your love stands on a foundation of genuine, mutual affection and respect for each other. To truly LOVE another person is to be willing to accept both their strong points and their weak points, with equal measures of understanding and respect. The vows you are about to exchange will serve as a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard or touched. For it is not the words that you will speak today that will bond you together as one, but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls.” Connor found himself getting choked up with emotion as the priest spoke these words. He refused to cry.

The Priest continued. “Please take each other’s hands.” Markus and Simon did as told, both unable to keep their eyes or smiles off their faces.

“Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?” Markus and Simon both nodded. 

“We do.” They spoke in unison.

“Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?” Connor couldn’t help but glance at Elijah at these words. The man smiled at him.

“We do.”

The priest gestured to Connor. “The rings please.” Connor reached in his inner pocket and pulled out a small black box he opened it and held it out the priest who took it. He pulled out a ring and handed it to Markus. 

“Markus repeat after me. I Markus, promise to love and support you Simon and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.” 

Markus smiled. “ I Markus, promise to love and support you Simon and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.” He slid the ring onto Simon's finger, and a tear fell out of Simons' eye. Markus reached up and gently brushed it away with his thumb.

The priest smiled and handed Simon his ring. He took it and grabbed Markus hand. “Simon Repeat after me. I Simon, promise to love and support you Markus and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.”

Simon was crying, and honestly, Connor didn’t know how he wasn’t crying either. There really wasn’t a dry eye in the room, Connor had even seen Gavin wipe at his eye. “I Simon, promise to love and support you Markus and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring, I thee wed.”

“Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have, the gifts of your lives united. And may your days be long on this earth. I now pronounce you husbands. You may–“ Simon and Markus didn’t even wait, they lunged into each other's arms, their lips connecting in a passionate kiss. –continue kissing each other.”

Simon and Markus touched hands, there skin receding as they connected with each other. The crowd of guest erupted in applause. Markus and Simon broke the kiss and rested their foreheads against each others. Their hands remained connected. They turned to the crowd and smiled, hands joined they walked down the aisle together, everyone proceeding after them out of the church. As soon as the doors opened, the roaring applause of the crowd human and androids hit them. All had gathered to celebrate and support this occasion. Markus and Simon waved to the crowd and cameras as they were escorted to their car. It was time for the reception.

Though the androids didn’t need to eat, they still decided to throw one for their human guest. The party had been in full swing with the humans enjoying their food and loud lively conversation when a tap of silverware on glass drew their attention. 

“Um ahem–excuse me. I guess nerves gets to everyone even if it’s not their wedding.” Everyone laughed as Markus’s brother Leo rose to speak. “So, first I want to thank Markus for allowing me to speak at his wedding. Markus and I have of course known each other for a LONG time. He began taking care of our dad not long after his accident. Let me tell you, if you knew anything about our dad, you would know that it was not easy. Our dad was a sassy, and stubborn little man. I see that Markus took after him a lot.” Connor smiled, as he watched Markus laugh. 

“Our dad could be a handful. He had... lost himself and his sense of who he was after his accident. And Markus, he gave that back to him. He showed our dad that there was still passion and love in the world, by showing him passion and love that he felt before he even knew what it was. Markus, you showed our dad what humanity truly was, and you’ve shown the rest of the world as well. I can’t say that it was always sunshine and rainbows between us Markus, but I can say for certain, that I am incredibly proud to be able to call you my brother. And I know that dad would have been so very proud of all that you have accomplished and done. In fact, I know that he is, and I know for a fact that he would have fully supported your relationship with Simon. Because honestly, there are no two people who are more perfect than you are for each other. I wish many years of happiness between the both of you. Congratulations.” Everyone clapped as Leo finished his speech. Connor smiled as Markus got up from his table and hugged Leo. He knew they had a fractured relationship, but he was happy to see it healing.

The night continued on into dancing and mingling. Connor found himself staying in the background and simply watching the room. Markus and Simon were going between dancing and talking with the guest they had invited. They were currently talking to the President right now. She had brought her son with her, the young energetic androids seemed very pleased to be able to come out of hiding. He had spent most of his night running around and playing with Ethan and Sumo. Elijah was at the bar with Hank. Which surprised Connor, as they rarely ever interacted unless they had to. Connor guessed that anyone would bond over alcohol. 

A little bit further into the party and Markus and Simon had paid respects to those who had given their lives to allow them to be able to live free. They had set up a memorial for them and held a small service. Connor found himself feeling a little lethargic after he had paid his respects. He stepped outside onto the balcony for a moment to gather himself. He took in the night. He felt the pleasant air against his skin, reading it’s temperature. For a summer night, it was pretty cool out. He looked up at the stars and just contemplated. 

Connor couldn’t believe that they had made it to this point. There were so many times that he didn’t think they were going to make it out alive, but to his surprise they did. Connor kept replaying Seymore’s last words over and over again in his head. He knew that the man was trying to get to him even in his moment of death, yet Connor had been through so much he couldn’t help but think that maybe he was right. The man was still absolutely crazy, but perhaps Connor was just delaying the inevitable, and the world was going to eventually fuck him over. 

Connor looked down below him and paused as he thought he saw HIS face staring up at him from below. “Connor?” Connor turned to see Elijah standing in the doorway that led outside. He walked up to Connor, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“What are you doing out here?” Elijah asked. Connor looked back down the balcony to find no one standing there anymore. He wondered if it was just his imagination. However, he could have sworn he saw himself.

Connor, in the end, put it off to his PTSD, which he had learned he was suffering from. It took Connor a long time to come off edge, after the initial attempted take-over. Connor was always expecting Cyberlife to be around the corner trying to kill them all. It had taken Connor a long moment to realize that everything was over. Elijah after noticing that Connor refused to shut down sometimes, in fear that he wouldn’t come back as himself, had suggested that he go to therapy. When Connor refused, ensuring that he was alright, he offered to go with him but Connor refused that as well. It had taken Elijah startling him as he tried to wake him out of standby mode to move him off the couch, and him striking Elijah, that Connor accepted that he needed help. Connor had quickly discovered what a lot of his ticks were while going to therapy. Large noisy crowds were one. They put him in edge, made him feel paranoid like he was going to be attacked at any second. It was taking a long time, but he was getting better. 

Connor shrugged and gave an answer. “Hm. I just... wanted a moment to myself.” 

Elijah nodded understanding. He stepped closer to Connor resting his head on his shoulder..”Yes, I’m not one for parties either, but I think I can deal with this certain occasion. It’s quite nice isn’t it, this whole wedding thing?” Connor smiled, he knew that tone of voice. 

“Yes, it is. Have you ever thought about it... getting married I mean?” Connor asked. 

Elijah shrugged. “Not really. I always told myself it would have to be someone incredibly special. Someone who could constantly draw my attention, before I ever considered marrying them.” 

Connor turned his head and kissed the top of Elijah’s head. “Have you found that person yet?” 

Elijah smiled, he turned them around to face each other. “I don’t know. I seem to have a thing, for this android, with brown hair, cute freckles, and beautiful brown puppy dog eyes. But I don’t know if they’re interested in marriage.” Connor placed his hands on Elijah’s waist. 

“Elijah, will you marry me?” Elijah’s eyes widened, liked he wasn’t expecting Connor to actually ask. 

“R-really?”

Connor nodded. “Yes. I want us to spend our lives together Elijah, committed to one another.” 

Elijah smiled, looking away from Connor. “I mean...in my mind we were already married, even it wasn’t official, but if you want to–“ 

“I do want to Elijah.” Elijah rested his hands on Connor’s arms. His beautiful blue eyes warm. 

“Okay.” He whispered. 

Connor smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

Connor still had a lot to work out with himself, but as long as he had Elijah, he’d be alright.

***

Two weeks later. 

Monday, 11:00 AM

Markus sighed as he stared down at Carl’s grave. He had been through a lot in his new life as a deviant. He had felt SO many emotions. He had been stressed, sad, anxious, fearful, and overwhelmingly angry. He had felt love and loss. He had gained friends and lost them. Markus in his entire time existing had never thought that he would have been killed and ripped from his home, brought back from the dead, lead a revolution and win it, govern for the right of a people and get them, and end up saving the world from a psychotic man and his killer androids. 

Markus had been highly naive about the world when he first came to Jericho. He didn’t know much about anything. Despite his horrific entrance into it, despite Carl’s talks with him about how cruel people could be, Markus was still very innocent at first. All he knew was his life with Carl. He had been happy with his life with Carl. He would have been content to continue living and caring for him for the rest of his days. 

That in itself showed just how naive Markus was. Carl was an old man, he wasn’t going to live forever, even if everything hadn’t happened how it had. With the way, he and Leo’s relationship had been. Markus would have more than likely been decommissioned and discarded. Or perhaps in the most hopeful outcome, Carl would have probably had it arranged so that he went back to Elijah.

Yet, still, that wasn’t how things happened. Carl always said that things happened as they were meant to. Markus still missed and loved Carl greatly, but he realized if things had not happened the way they had, he would have never met Simon. Their people would have never been freed. Seymore would have eventually succeeded in his evil plan. Androids would have continued to be kidnaped and used for whatever evil purposes and Ethan would have still been held in captivity. 

Markus didn’t believe that he was the entire reason the androids revolted. Markus was sure that it would have happened eventually, but he didn’t know how much of a success it would have been. Like Fortune had said. Markus had been more than just a leader, but a beacon of hope for his people. If he had died at any point in the early stages of their revolution, Markus didn’t know how the entire thing would have gone. 

North more than likely would have taken over, but North had been a different person back then. She had been violent and unwilling to show mercy. She had come a long way. Markus found himself smiling as he thought of her. He did indeed miss her. North and Josh’s death felt like they were missing a core part of their lives. Sure they had new people included in their family now. Allen and Gavin sometimes came to their gatherings if Markus invited them. Their interactions were always...interesting. Leo came and visited often, he and Markus talked a lot while he was there. It had taken some time for them to get used to each other. They had a lot of bad history between them, but they had come a long way. Carl would be proud of them.

The Jerrys who had actually been a big help the day they met--they had saved many people after their run-in with Markus-- also remained involved with their lives. They loved Ethan and were the absolute best babysitters. They took care of him during Markus and Simons’s honeymoon. Even Ralph who had warmed up a lot to not only humans but other androids as well was a welcome addition to their family. Carl’s garden had never looked so beautiful. Ethan was an absolute joy, and Markus and Simon loved him a lot. They also had Fortune, who now had his own fully working body. Though he was quite busy, as he worked with Elijah as co-CEO of Cyberlife, and was heavily involved with the government now that he could use his original functions fully. 

Elijah was doing quite well with his company in fact. It took him a long time to fix the mess Cyberlife had become. He got rid of all of the crooked people in his company, including shareholders and employees, as well as undoing all of the illegal dealings that Seymore had done in its name. The hardest part he had, was restoring the public’s faith in the company. Cyberlife no longer made androids. Instead, they produced things that androids would need as they adjusted to civilian life. Repair kits, new software, thirium cleaners kits for maintenance, and of course, extra biocomponents. He had renovated and turned the facilities into hospitals for androids instead. He had trained many people, android and human on how to work on their inner intricacies.

Elijah had been a big help in helping the merge of androids and humans together in the workforce. He had offered many jobs to androids and humans as he restructured his company. It had taken a long time, but eventually, the public began trusting Cyberlife’s name again. 

He and Connor had made strides in their relationship as well. They were trying to keep it a secret for now, but Markus knew that they were engaged. Connor...was going through some things. He had briefly returned to work for the DPD after everything settled, but it became quickly apparent that he wasn’t ready for it yet. He was currently resigned from the police force, though he did have a warm welcome waiting if he ever decided to go back. Lieutenant Anderson was still working but he was looking to retire soon.

It had taken Connor some time to even admit that something was wrong with him. Elijah had even come to Markus about it, asking for advice on how he should approach talking to him about it. Markus didn’t know what had happened that got Connor to admit that he needed help, but whatever it was had shaken him. He was currently going to therapy twice a week. 

Markus couldn’t even blame Connor for his issues. Markus wondered how HE or anyone else didn’t have PTSD. Not even Ethan had it. Simon remained slightly anxious, but his anxiety was very manageable, and he hadn’t been jumpy in a LONG time. Markus had to remember that Connor had...been through a lot with Cyberlife. Much more than Markus ever had been. Elijah obviously had been involved with them, but not on the level that Connor had been. Connor had been used by them in every way. He had been destroyed, remade, controlled, and reset just to be used all over again. Even when he thought he was free, he wasn’t. It wasn’t a surprise that Connor still expected them to be around the corner waiting to get him. Even if he logically knew it wasn’t possible anymore. 

It hurt Markus to see him in such a way, but he was getting help. And all they could do was support him. He had A LOT of support. 

So yeah, they had lost people they loved but had gained people they loved along the way. It didn’t replace their loved ones or the pain of their loss, but it made it easier. The city had even built a monument to honor the lives of all humans and androids who hade given theirs. Markus had been asked to name it, so obviously he went with Jericho, in honor of his fallen comrades and family. 

“Hey dad, I think I fixed it.” Markus was shaken out of his thoughts, and he turned to Ethan. He had been tinkering with one of his new inventions he had been working on for a while. He was eager to show it to Markus, but it had refused to turn on when they got here. So he had sat down and quickly tried to fix it. Markus let him take his time while he contemplated. 

Ethan had come a long way since his captivity. He was on a very strict diet that would help him gain weight, and on many supplements and vitamins. He had grown quite a bit and indeed put on some weight, but he still had a ways to go before he was anywhere near the weight he was supposed to be for a sixteen-year-old. 

Markus and Simon had also put him in therapy as soon as they could. He was making good progress. The therapist said that his incredible intelligence made him highly aware and understanding of the world and the things that had happened to him and his brother. However, he had spent so long thinking like a child, that it was going to take time to get him used to thinking his age. He had come a long way, but there was no telling if he ever would fully mentally grow up. Ethan was to start high school, soon. With his IQ–which was 191– he could have gone straight to college, but the therapist said that it was best that he got used to being around other people first before they decided to make that choice. 

Elijah had taken him under his wing, teaching him many things. Markus clearly remembered his words to him. “With your intellect and the RIGHT type of nurturing and use of your mind, I have no doubt that you will do amazing things for this world.” Ethan had begun inventing many types of things after a few months of working with Elijah. It was mostly little household things. Things a child a would use entertain himself, but some of his inventions were brilliant. Elijah had manufactured some of them and even consulted Ethan on some of the things he was working on as well. Ethan was going to be even more wealthy than Markus by the time he became an adult. Carl had left Markus A LOT and he meant A LOT of money, so that was saying something.

There was no doubt that Ethan was going to go far in this world. “Dad, hellooo.” Markus blinked as Ethan waved a hand over his eyes. 

“I’m sorry Ethan. Go ahead and show me.” Ethan gave him a bright smile, and set the little contraption he was working on, on top of the grave. He pressed a button, and a little hologram of a picture of everyone at he and Simon’s wedding appeared. Carl’s favorite flowers were falling all around it. Markus blinked in surprise. He looked at Ethan who smiled at him.

“I remember you told me that he liked these type of flowers. I chose this photo because it has everyone in it. I know that you say he’s with us all the time, but well, now we can be with him all the time. This is what I’ve been working on with Uncle Elijah. The battery won’t run out for at least 100 years, and it’s waterproof so we don’t have to worry about the rain or snow.” Ethan smiled at him expectantly. God dammit, Markus was not going to cry.

“Do you like it, dad?” Markus. Wasn’t. Going. Fucking. Cry. 

Fuck it!

Markus pulled Ethan into a hug, a few tears slipping out his eyes. “I love it, Ethan.” Ethan hugged him back. Markus pulled back from the hug but kept Ethan close. He stared down at the grave with the newly added picture of them. Markus couldn’t help but smile. 

“I wish I could have met him,” Ethan said. 

Markus squeezed his shoulder and pulled him closer, ruffling his hair with his other hand. “He would have absolutely loved you, Ethan.” Markus took a deep breath. Markus knew that as a fact. He tugged on Ethan’s shoulder. 

“Come on, we need to get going before you father sends everyone out looking for us. We were supposed to just run to the store.” Ethan nodded and went to gather the rest of the things he had brought and the couple of bags from the store. 

Markus looked at the grave, once more. He missed Carl. He wished that he could have met everyone. But Carl always believed everything happened for a reason. Carl had been the starting point for everything. 

He was part of the reason that androids had even been made. Carl saved Elijah from his life on the streets, he had taken care of him and guided him when he needed him. Even when they had to go their separate ways. Elijah created androids because Carl had seen something in him other than a little punk from the streets. Elijah created Markus because of Carl. It was a rippling snowball effect that had led them to where they were now. 

They existed because Carl believed in their creator, he saw something special in him that no one else cared to look for.

Elijah may have been his creator, but Carl was the one who shaped him into the man he was today. He owed everything to him for that. 

“Dad?”’ Markus turned to glance at Ethan. He had gathered his things and was waiting for him. Markus turned back around and placed his hand on the tombstone. 

“Thank you, dad. For everything.”

Markus turned from the grave and walked over to Ethan. He placed his hand on his shoulder. Markus would always love and miss Carl, but he no longer had to live in the past and with regret. He would keep Carl’s memory alive within his new family, and live the life that Carl would have wanted him to live. 

Markus smiled at Ethan. At his son. He hoped he could be half the father that Carl had been to him.

“Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! *blows a horn and throws confetti!*
> 
> OH MY GOD. Please click the next chapter for my final words, my A/N was FAR too long! XD
> 
> Links to the wedding speech, because I fucking had no idea what to write! XD
> 
> http://ravieandchelseaswedding.blogspot.com/2010/06/wedding-ceremony-script.html
> 
> https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070406151903AAON4Td


	31. A/N

This isn’t a chapter! I Just knew that my author's note was going to be way too fuckin long and I was right! XDDD

Wow, I can’t believe that we actually reached the end of the story! When I started writing this I never expected it to be so long and so large and expansive. (This is bigger than your average novel in word count guys XD) when I first started writing this, each chapter wasn't supposed to be longer than 3-4 thousands words. I quickly broke that limit! XDD 

Let me tell you, I never expected this story to get the reception that it got! I never, EVER, expected to have people follow this story from beginning to end. Many of you don’t know this, but this is the first story that I have ever shared with people. I have really bad anxiety when it comes to sharing my work(be it art or writing), so I tend to only create stuff for my myself and sometimes family members. I can’t believe that I actually posted this and didn’t chicken out. It wasn’t easy let me tell you, I doubted myself a lot while writing this. There were times when I was hella frustrated with this story. I know for a fact that I’m not the most amazing prose writer in the world! While I love writing, it has always been more along the lines of dialogue for mini-comics and just crafting worlds and plots for my own stories that I wish to publish(in comic or movie form) one day. I’ve never actually written a full prose story before. However, the fact that people still enjoyed this story,(despite the typos that appeared later on, but we’ll get to that in a minute lol) has given me so much confidence to not be so afraid and to put my work and myself out there more! I want to thank you guys so much for that!<3333333333

Some questions:

So what happens now?! 

Now I go back and PROPERLY edit this story. I’m actually excited about this! I can’t wait to read it as a whole, and get rid of all those pesky typos out of it, as well as fix the structure of some earlier chapters to make it read clearer! XD I’m going to take my time with this though, so the whole thing will take a few weeks. I will either remove the note I have in the summary when it’s completed or just post that it’s re-edited in the tags. We’ll see when I get there! XD

Will there be a sequel? 

Yes! There will be one as I’ve promised since I started this story! I still need to properly plan it out though, and I wish to have a bit of a buffer built up for it before I begin posting it. However, there will be one! In the meantime, while I write it, I have a few one-shot fics (not connected to this universe) I want to explore for each of our couples. There are literally so many things that can be done with these guys and I have so many ideas I want to explore! So there will still be content coming from me while I write the sequel. (If you’re interested that is!)

What’s it going to be about, haven’t you put these poor people through enough?!

It picks up about a year after the end of this story! It will be focusing on everything that was unresolved here. Such as the missing androids Seymore kidnaped, and the RK900 model that deviated was shot multiple times including in the head (twice!), but was mysteriously lived and vanished from the tower! Also not all of Seymore’s ‘associates’ were caught remember! It will mostly be Connor centric plot-wise, with PLENTY and I mean PLENTY, of Markus and Simon fluff thrown in there! (Markus and Simon have earned their break, now it’s time for Connor to earn his! lol XD)The format will also be different than this one. Instead of putting both of Connor’s and Markus’s POV’s in the same chapter, each chapter will just be one POV. This will make it much more manageable to edit. (it will also have a lot more sex...you know just putting that out there...)

(That was all the questions I could think of, if you have more please don’t hesitate to ask!)

Finally before I close this out, I just want to give the BIGGEST THANK YOU to all of my absolutely, fan-fucking-tastic, and amazing readers! I have said it multiple time before but...THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH! I want to thank everyone who has been here since the beginning! I want to thank everyone who came in from the middle! I want to thank everyone who came in at the very end! I even want to thank all my silent readers and everyone who has left a kudos. I’ve met so many interesting people since posting this! You guys have made me laugh, tear up, and given me so much joy and confidence! 

Thank you to everyone who has left me friendly advice and criticism! Thank you to everyone who offered me support when I received not so nice ‘criticism’. I wish I could write a note for each one of you here, but we’ll be here all day! (I’ll thank you all in the comments watch out! XD) Seriously, I have never been more honored to have such loyal and kind readers! You guys made my day every time you left a comment! Your comments even cheered me up on the bad days, when I wasn’t feeling so great about myself! Thank you to everyone who has given me support when I couldn’t update, and those of you who made sure that my health was okay and I wasn’t working myself to death! \\(TT//w//TT)/ I can’t even express my gratitude to all of you guys! How does this virtual hug thing work, I really want each and every one of you! ;w; You guys are the very best and I’m so happy that I got to speak to all of you! Thank you so much for sticking with me till the end! <3333333333333333333333333333333333

So... that’s all I have to say! I honestly can’t believe that we made it to the end, I’m kinda sad to be done, but also very happy to move on to something else for now! Thank you all once again, and hopefully, I’ll see you in the sequel or in my other work! ;3 

I wish all of you many blessings in your life, and have a wonderful day or night! Bye my pretty darlings!<33333333


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